The Spy Unit That Wasn’t: Border Force’s Ill-Fated Adventure in Espionage

The collapse of the Australian Border Force’s (ABF) secret spy unit is a story of hubris, incompetence, and ultimate failure. Behind the scenes, the ABF secretly built an elite intelligence agency to counter organised crime gangs breaching Australia’s borders. However, like a house of cards, it all came crashing down in just three years.

The ABF’s foray into espionage was born out of desperation. With its massive remit and sweeping powers, the agency found itself woefully under-equipped to deal with sophisticated threats facing the country. A former senior officer described the ABF as having an “identity crisis” – a Frankenstein monster cobbled together from various components, yet still missing critical tools.

The agency’s lack of resources and skills was staggering. It couldn’t even conduct basic covert operations like telephone intercepts or plant audio bugs. Its reliance on partner agencies like the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and state police was laughable, given its supposed status as a “world-class organisation”.

This desperation led to the creation of a human source unit – recruiting informers or snitches to supercharge the ABF’s capabilities. The notion was simple: tap into the expertise and contacts within the infrastructure used by organised crime gangs. However, like all good intentions, it ultimately fell apart.

A Recipe for Disaster

The strategic command group meeting in June 2016 marked a turning point for the ABF’s human source unit. The plan was ambitious – to use officers from both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and ABF to target untapped potential sources inside the infrastructure used by organised crime gangs.

However, it quickly became apparent that the ABF had no idea what it was getting itself into. Without the necessary skills, resources, or expertise, the agency stumbled from one blunder to the next. The Strategic Command Group’s optimistic claims about the unit’s capabilities only served to mask the underlying problems.

Compromised and Crumbling

It didn’t take long for the ABF’s human source unit to self-destruct. A compromised operative at the helm proved to be the final nail in the coffin. His attempts to orchestrate his own tobacco smuggling operation had far-reaching consequences, paralysing the agency and leaving it vulnerable during the “tobacco war”.

This is not just a story of incompetence; it’s also a testament to the ABF’s inability to adapt to changing circumstances. As organised crime gangs became a national security threat, the ABF was caught flat-footed. Its lack of resources and skills meant that it couldn’t even begin to scratch the surface of these complex threats.

The Consequences for Australia

The collapse of the ABF’s human source unit is a stark reminder of the agency’s ongoing struggles with organised crime. With its detection rate for identifying sea cargo containers containing illicit contraband as low as 10 per cent in 2017, it’s clear that the ABF needs to rethink its approach.

This debacle also raises questions about the ABF’s leadership and accountability. Who was responsible for greenlighting this ill-fated adventure? What measures will be taken to prevent such catastrophic failures in the future?

The Tobacco War and National Security

The “tobacco war” that unfolded during this period was a stark reminder of the consequences of under-resourcing our law enforcement agencies. As profits and power flowed from illicit cigarettes to organised crime gangs, it became clear that the ABF’s limitations had far-reaching implications for national security.

This is not just a story about the ABF; it’s also a warning sign for our broader approach to counter-terrorism and national security. With more sophisticated threats emerging every day, it’s time to rethink our priorities and allocate resources accordingly.