Other criminal activities
Organised crime groups may be involved in the following criminal activities.
Firearms trafficking
Firearms aid criminal activity and can be used to strengthen an organised crime group’s market position. Firearms trafficking, particularly the illicit movement of firearms and firearm parts across state borders is an ongoing concern for jurisdictional authorities.
Illicit firearm importation may be less attractive to criminals due to increased border surveillance and likelihood of detection.
Intellectual property crime
Intellectual property (IP) crime includes the illicit production, distribution and sale of products without the authority of the owner of the IP rights.
The high profit and minor penalties associated with IP crime make it an attractive area for organised crime. Criminal involvement in IP crime has gone beyond counterfeiting DVDs to counterfeiting other commodities such as pharmaceuticals, car parts and everyday grocery products.
IP crime can have serious consequences for the Australian community. It can:
- undermine the competitive advantage of Australian businesses
- damage respected brand names
- result in the loss of domestic market share
- cause reduced investment in innovation and research
- affect foreign investment.
Criminal presence in other sectors
Criminal presence in some industry sectors can be used to facilitate a range of illegal activities. Criminal involvement in sectors including finance, entertainment, telecommunications and building, may provide opportunity for illegal activities and threaten the integrity of the industry concerned.
The transport sector has the greatest level of overall exposure to organised criminal activity, given its nature and the need to use mainstream infrastructure to distribute drugs and other illicit goods. The private security industry could also represent an attractive target for organised criminal infiltration.