Organised crime reforms are now available to police and law enforcement and include new powers to confiscate unlawfully acquired assets of major convicted drug traffickers.
They also give police enhanced powers to target and confiscate unexplained wealth and expanded powers to stop and search for unexplained wealth and more effectively investigate organised crime.
Additionally, new money laundering offences have been added for those dealing with and caught trying to disguise the proceeds of general crime.
These include a new offence that prohibits the possession of a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device (DECCD) and orders to target high-risk individuals likely to use them.
Alongside this, there are new powers to enable police to direct a person to provide access to a digital device, which is akin to gaining the keys to a safe.
Finally, there are also new laws for the scrap metal industry to strengthen registration requirements and make it harder for illegitimate dealers who pay criminals cash in exchange for stolen parts and property to operate as well as new laws making it illegal for members of a criminal organisation to hold a tattoo licence.
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police, Paul Toole, said the reforms would be game changers for law enforcement, allowing them to more effectively target organised crime networks’ profits and destroy gangs’ capacity to finance further crime.
