AFP moves into Qld police headquarters in Brisbane for criminal gang crackdown
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers have moved into Queensland police headquarters in Brisbane as part of a national crackdown on criminal gangs.
Five AFP officers are working alongside local officers and investigators with other Commonwealth agencies, including the Australian Taxation Office and Australian Crime Commission.
AFP Commander Sharon McTavish says the move will also encourage greater information sharing between the National Anti-Gang Squad, Taskforce Maxima, and international law enforcement agencies.
"The fact that we have got a range of agencies sitting in a room next to each other means there is no gaps in intelligence sharing and in the timeliness of that intelligence sharing," he said.
"This is not a one agency issue anymore - it is not a state-based issue and it is not a purely Commonwealth issue."
At the same time, the head of Taskforce Maxima hopes to get extra funding beyond October.
The taskforce was established in October last year to take on so-called criminal motorcycle gangs operating in Queensland.
Detective Superintendent Mick Niland says the job will not be finished when funding runs out in six months' time.
"This isn't a crackdown on criminal motorcycle gangs, it is the relentless pursuit," he said.
"We are not a six-month or a 12-month pull-up stumps kind of thing.
"We want to go forward with this on a criminal pathway in regards to the gangs."
Topics: crime, police, federal---state-issues, brisbane-4000