The AFP is shining a spotlight on its International Posts, with officers based offshore collaborating and sharing intelligence with foreign law enforcement partners to tackle global threats and safeguard the Australian community from afar.
More than 200 members are deployed across the world, at Posts in every continent except Antarctica, to combat crimes such as drug trafficking, human exploitation, people smuggling, money laundering and terrorism.
In total, the AFP has a presence in 35 countries, through 36 separate bases from Bogota to Beijing, as well as eight police development partnerships in the Pacific region.
AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean said criminals were not constrained by international borders and a global police network was required to deter and disrupt their activity.
“To target borderless crimes such as child exploitation, drug trafficking and people smuggling, we need to work together – no one agency can do it alone,” he said.
“Criminals cause harm to our national security, financial systems, our busy hospitals in our suburbs. They have a negative impact in every community in which they operate, which is why it is so important for law enforcement agencies to work together to combat them.
“The AFP’s first international post was Kuala Lumpur, opened in 1973 by the then-Federal Bureau of Narcotics, and since then we have built strong relationships with foreign partners across the world.
“Criminals who prey on Australians from overseas should know they are not out of arm’s length from the AFP.”
Assistant Commissioner McLean praised the efforts of investigators who worked offshore to protect the Australian community.
“We send some of our best investigators overseas to work alongside and assist law enforcement partners,” he said.
“Many of these AFP members are deployed without their families and spend long periods away from loved ones to undertake this vital work.”
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