Frogs, prawns, insect-infested fruit seized in black market biosecurity bust
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police.
The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market.
"When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said.
The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country.
The nature of the offending included product substitution.
Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls.
She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service.
The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney.
Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader.
Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world.
"While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said.
"False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment.
The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm.
Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police.
The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market.
"When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said.
The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country.
The nature of the offending included product substitution.
Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls.
She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service.
The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney.
Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader.
Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world.
"While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said.
"False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment.
The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm.
Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police.
The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market.
"When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said.
The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country.
The nature of the offending included product substitution.
Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls.
She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service.
The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney.
Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader.
Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world.
"While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said.
"False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment.
The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm.
Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police.
The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market.
"When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said.
The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country.
The nature of the offending included product substitution.
Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls.
She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service.
The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney.
Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader.
Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world.
"While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said.
"False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment.
The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm.
Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
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Frogs, prawns, insect-infested fruit seized in black market biosecurity bust
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
ABC News
12-06-2025
- ABC News
Lockdowns occurring 'all of the time' at every NT prison, corrections boss tells budget estimates
The Northern Territory corrections commissioner says lockdowns are occurring "all of the time" at every NT prison, as inmate numbers continue to soar. More than 1 per cent of the Northern Territory's population is incarcerated, with Department of Corrections (DOC) figures showing 2,834 people were behind bars as of Thursday. Half of the people in jail are on remand, with the total prison population rising by 600 since the Country Liberal Party (CLP) was elected last August. Due to the rising prisoner numbers and staff shortages, lockdowns have been frequently implemented by the DOC. Responding to a question at budget estimates in NT parliament on Thursday, Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said he could not provide a specific figure on the number of lockdowns at adult prisons since September. Instead, he said there were "lockdowns across all of the facilities all of the time". "[The number of lockdowns has] been substantial in the last number of months because of the rate of prisoner growth and the stretch that we have experienced," Commissioner Varley said. Commissioner Varley said it was difficult for the DOC to provide specific lockdown data, because they occurred "in a range of scenarios". "From a cell or block or wing being locked down, to entire facilities," he said. "It is relatively rare for a lockdown of an entire facility to occur because of the nature of staff shortages. "What is more likely to occur is that the entire facility is locked down for short periods of time, depending on operational events. "But [it is] more likely that various parts of the prison, various wings and cells are locked down … what we call rolling unlocks, which are staged locks and unlocks throughout the day." During the budget estimates session, the DOC did provide data on lockdowns in youth detention facilities. Acting Deputy Commissioner Sasha Dennis said there were 25 "rotational lockdowns" between July 2024 and the end of March this year. "They are due to operational requirements, such as low staffing or high levels of escorts, including court, medical, and leave of absences — requiring transport of young people outside of the facility," she said. There were 55 youths in detention on Thursday, according to the DOC. The territory's three adult jails and two work camps cannot accommodate the entire prison population. Prisoners who cannot fit into those facilities are being held in police watch houses, where DOC staff have not been present since March. During budget estimates, Corrections Minister Gerard Maley said there were 70 prisoners in police watch houses as of Thursday. Of the 70 prisoners, 51 were being held at Palmerston watch house, 10 at Katherine watch house and nine at the watch house in Alice Springs. Mr Maley said 20 prisoners at the Palmerston watch house had been held there for more than a week, with one prisoner's stint stretching to 14 days as of Thursday. While in a watch house, prisoners do not leave their cell and lights remain on 24 hours a day, Mr Maley confirmed. In February, the NT government passed legislation allowing it to hire private and interstate guards to work in the corrections system. The government subsequently contracted private security firm G4S to manage prisoner transfers in Darwin, in a bid to boost the overall workforce and reduce overtime payments. During budget estimates, Commissioner Varley said the overtime bill "for custodial operations" between July 2024 and the end of March this year reached $19.23 million, for 266,000 extra hours worked. "That's an average of 355 hours per prisoner," he said. "By the time we get to June 30, we'll probably end up with an overtime bill similar to what we did last year."
ABC News
05-06-2025
- ABC News
NT government flags more private guards as bulging prison network grows to record numbers
The Northern Territory's corrections minister has refused to rule out using more private guards to help manage ballooning prisoner numbers. According to NT Department of Corrections data, 2,803 prisoners were being held across the NT's prison network as of Wednesday. The number is a record high after rising consistently for the past two decades, and marks a jump of 550 inmates since the Country Liberal Party (CLP) came to government in August. Speaking to Stateline NT, Deputy Chief Minister and Corrections Minister Gerard Maley said the influx had created a "challenging environment" for prison services. He said a $120 million funding injection into the system, allocated in the NT budget, would help to manage the load. "This is extra money that's going into the correctional system to make sure that officers are safe and to make sure prisoners are safe," Mr Maley said. The surge in prisoners has come as the CLP implements a range of tough-on-crime measures, including stricter bail laws and lowering the age of criminal responsibility, which have faced heavy criticism from a range of groups. As prisoner numbers have risen, staffing has not kept pace. An NT government recruitment drive has so far seen 138 new correctional guards employed inside prisons and in February private global security firm G4S was contracted to manage prisoner transfers in Darwin. The union representing correctional officers has raised concerns bringing in private prison guards could mark the start of "the privatisation of corrections" in the NT. "We are looking at trying to expand the workforce and we've got a rolling recruitment office, but it's just not enough because our system is growing," Mr Maley said. "There's a whole range of jobs outside the prison … which can be used for independent contractors." The deputy chief minister said privatising the whole NT prison network was not on the government's radar. "There are private firms that run prisons in their entirety, that's not our plan at all," he said. "Our plan is to make sure that we have highly trained officers behind the wire, and then independent contractors such as G4S doing the services outside that." In May, a long-standing correctional officer reportedly lost his eye after being assaulted by a prisoner in Darwin, and the union has blamed overcrowding for fuelling a volatile situation inside jails. But Mr Maley denies that the NT's recent surge in prisoner numbers, combined with a workforce shortage, has created a dangerous situation behind the wire. "The situation right now is a challenging environment because we've got a record number of people," Mr Maley said. "But this is about community safety and we need to make sure that people in the NT know that there's going to be a consequence for your action." Rolling lockdowns, triggered by workforce shortages, have also affected the delivery of rehabilitation programs — with some providers in Darwin waiting months to see prisoners to complete assessments for the courts. The trickle-down effect has left courts under pressure, with cases taking longer to be heard and remand times reaching record levels. "We've been in office for about nine months, what we inherited was a mess of the prison system and the court system in relation to a lack of infrastructure," Mr Maley said. "We're trying to keep the community safe, so we've got to get that balance right of rehabilitation and punishment and keeping the community safe." As part of the NT government's prison master plan, new prison work camps have been flagged for Katherine and at the Holtze facility in Darwin in 2026. By the end of 2025, a new youth justice boot camp and bail facility is also set to open in the Katherine area. Mr Maley said the government was working on addressing social issues in the territory to prevent people from entering the criminal justice system. "We know that education is an issue — I've been to the prisons and I've spoken with adult prisoners who don't even know the alphabet, they can't even count to 10 and they are middle-aged people," he said. "I've been into youth justice and young people are going to school and they are not used to that because wherever they have come from and [in] their community, they don't do that." Asked if these issues reflected failures of successive governments and if poverty was being punished, Mr Maley denied the government was entrenching disadvantage through its crime policies. "We're working hard to break that cycle, to be able to give these prisoners and young offenders a better opportunity at life as they move forward," he said.
