Internet boosting Aussie organised crime

Internet technology has given organised criminals unprecedented powers to operate "at arm's length" from their victims and across national borders, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) says.

Crime syndicates are more able to link with terrorist groups, exchanging information and skills, and professional agents and organisations are increasingly being implicated in crime, a new publication warns.

ACC chief Alastair Milroy said the Australian community was largely unaware of how widespread organised crime was and how far it reached into legitimate business activities.

Organised crime is estimated to cost the Australian economy a staggering $A10 billion ($NZ11.54 billion) every year.

Mr Milroy yesterday launched a declassified publication, Organised Crime in Australia, for distribution to businesses and the wider public, highlighting key issues and trends.

Drug trafficking and money laundering were common activities among organised crime groups, but cyber crime including identity theft and fraud were on the rise, Mr Milroy said.

"It's very important to remember that what we are really talking about here is substantial planning and organisation at a very sophisticated level," Mr Milroy told AAP.

"What they are looking for are areas of high profit and low risk of detection by law enforcement agencies."

The private security, pharmaceutical and motor vehicle industries were among those typically targeted by crime gangs, with financial and insurance institutions now more vulnerable thanks to the internet, Mr Milroy said.

"These groups prey on those who are vulnerable, and I think the business community in particular needs to identify areas of risk and develop appropriate risk management strategies," he said.

Mr Milroy said closer collaboration between state and federal authorities had been a success, but he could not agree that authorities were winning the war with organised crime.

"I think we have seen some very good results in the past two to three years in breaking up a number of syndicates and disrupting criminal activities," he said.

Whilst there were notable parallels between the activities of organised criminals and terrorists, any associations between the two in Australia had been "short term".

"Closer ties between crime and terrorist groups in Australia are unlikely, as both groups wish to avoid greater law enforcement and security agency attention," the report said.

- AAP