None of the allegations made in recent Fairfax Media reports are new or unknown to the Department and its enforcement arm the Australian Border Force (ABF).
It is disappointing Fairfax Media has chosen to sensationalise a series of, in some cases discredited, allegations for the sake of creating a perceived corruption 'crisis' with national security overtones. Nothing in the recent reporting backs up the contention by Fairfax Media "that terrorists could exploit security gaps".
The ABF approached Fairfax Media in May after initial reporting claimed serious and organised corruption among border security officials, including ABF officers.
That report was published without comment being sought from the Department or ABF.
Despite several weeks of engagement with and requests to Fairfax Media, no new information or evidence has been provided to support its claims of serious, entrenched or ongoing corruption or misconduct by ABF officers.
The Department also confirmed to Fairfax Media that the matters it intended to report on were based on false information, were of a historical nature, or in a small number of cases subject to ongoing investigation.
Fairfax Media chose to ignore this advice.
In some cases, the matters relate to investigations undertaken and concluded years ago.
All allegations predate the formation of the ABF on 1 July 2015 and where evidence exists are subject to ongoing investigation by the Department and a range of law enforcement partners.
In addition, all alleged matters relating to Commonwealth officials were identified internally by the Department as a result of integrity measures introduced in the former Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and referred to the corruption watchdog, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI).
The Integrity Commissioner, Mr Michael Griffin AM, has confirmed the number of referrals made by the Department to ACLEI reflects a combination of diligence and effective detection mechanisms within the Department.
The ABF is also reviewing licensing arrangements for customs brokers to ensure appropriate scrutiny of those working in this key industry for border protection and will act to cancel or suspend licenses where there is evidence of wrong doing.
More details on integrity measures in the new Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the ABF were outlined in a statement released on 19 May in relation to similar claims in previous media reports.
Fairfax Media has failed to adequately represent the very significant improvements in the integrity regimes of the former ACBPS and now the ABF since these allegations came to light, in some cases several years ago.
Any new information in relation to alleged corruption by ABF officers should be passed to ACLEI. Any information on criminality in the customs brokerage community can be reported anonymously to Border Watch.
The ABF will continue to adopt a zero tolerance approach to serious misconduct and corruption - as it has done since its formation on 1 July 2015.
Media contact: Immigration and Border Protection (02) 6264 2244