CCB officer learns the ropes down under
Superintendent (SP) Denis Chan of Commercial Crime Bureau's Fraud Division recently completed a three-month secondment to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The AFP was formally established on October 19, 1979 after merging of the former Commonwealth Police and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police to deal with terrorism at a national level. Uniformed AFP officers work in community policing, aviation and perform International Deployment Duties for Peace Keeping, while plain-cloth investigators are responsible for investigating major crimes.
SP Chan was primarily attached to the Criminal Investigation Portfolio, which is responsible for investigating serious and major crimes in the ACT. In Sydney, he worked closely with AFP Acting Superintendent Arthur Moermann in the Economic and Special Operations Portfolio to deal with serious and complex fraud activities, money laundering, criminal tax offences, identity crime and other financial crimes. He also participated in Operation Wickenby, a major operation against tax evasion activities, as well as several Hong Kong-connected drug operations mounted by the AFP. In return, SP Chan shared his experience of dealing with commercial crime in Hong Kong, including money laundering, insurance fraud, and insider dealing.
The three-month stint in Australia also included a four-week tour in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney Airport. In Canberra, SP Chan ran into an old friend, Superintendent Sue Thomas, the Manager Ministerial, Chief of Staff Portfolio, who was seconded to the Force for six months last year. SP Chan attended the Senior Liaison Officer Conference and met Assistance Commissioner Kevin Zuccato as well as other Liaison Officers attached to various parts of the world.
With the guidance of local officers, he visited the recruit-training establishment in the AFP Barton College, which provides excellent opportunities for learning and development. He also had discussions with the AFP on a variety of topics like undercover programme, assumed identities legislation and national child offender register.
In Melbourne, SP Chan attended a one-week money-laundering course, which demonstrated how the AFP handle commonwealth money laundering offences. With anti-terrorism being one of the major focuses in today's policing, SP Chan spent another week at the Sydney Airport to study how the AFP respond to terrorist threats with their Terrorism Intelligence Unit and Major Events and Incidents Group.
The three-month tour in Australia not only gave SP Chan an opportunity to experience policing work, but also boosted the understanding between the AFP and the Force. This kind of partnership and connection, it is hoped, would forge closer international co-operation for the fight against crime.
SP
Chan
is primarily attached to the AFP's Criminal Investigation
Portfolio