CANBERRA: Authorities on Friday launched a new task force to target organised criminals trafficking illicit drugs into northern Australia from Pacific nations.
A statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the police force in the northeast state of Queensland said that the North Queensland Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF) would counter the growing threat of criminals sourcing methamphetamine and cocaine stockpiled in the Pacific, Xinhua news agency reported.
It said that the task force will target organized criminals engaged in trafficking through the Torres Strait, the body of water that separates northern Queensland and New Guinea, to protect vulnerable communities and Australian sovereignty.