CHERUB: The Syndicate

8: Syndicate

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Organised Crime in Australia

Like all countries, Australia struggles with the problem of organised crime, but problems in Australia are, in some ways, more acute. Geographical proximity to drug-producing areas and other countries with major organised crime problems is one factor, as well as the relative difficulty of policing more than twenty thousand miles of coastline. Problems include drug trafficking, human trafficking, financial crime, extortion, protection rackets and even political corruption. Australian authorities have been working to eradicate these problems since the 1980s, but the balance of power can be precarious and as soon as one group is eliminated, another springs up.

Melbourne, the organised crime 'capital' of Australia

With more than four million people, Melbourne is consistently ranked among the best cities in the world, but beneath the surface is the highest rate of organised crime in Australia. The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and Victoria Police are constantly working to infiltrate and stop these organisations, with the cooperation of local citizens. However, the high living standards in Melbourne can contribute to the problem, with criminals attracted by the wealth and the potential for corruption and financial crime amongst the city's most well-off. A number of attempts have been made to crack down on organised crime in Melbourne, and major reductions have been made since the mid-1980s, but the problem has not gone away.

Infiltrating Organised Gangs

One of the key difficulties of infiltrating the kinds of gangs that operate in Melbourne is their general distrust of new members and the fact that any undercover agent who is exposed is likely to be subject to violent retribution or possibly even death. As such, ASIS have been working to find a way to infiltrate these gangs without subjecting their agents to unwelcome risks. Using informants has been successful in the past, but they can often be unreliable and the majority of members at the core of the gangs are unwilling to take any risks on behalf of the police and ASIS. Getting information about those at the very top of the organisations is the most important thing when it comes to dismantling these gangs.

The Melbourne Power Vacuum

Recently, a series of bitter inter-gang feuds have led to an increase in the number of gangland murders, culminating in the assassination of two major players in Melbourne's drugs trade. ASIS believe that these two men were responsible for running one of Melbourne's major gangs, and since their death, the trade has been available for other gangs to take over. This period of major change is the perfect time to gather information on any gangs trying to move in. It is therefore important that the ASIS mission goes ahead as soon as possible, to take advantage of this.

The Syndicate

One of the gangs believed to be capitalising on the situation is named the Syndicate. Unlike many conventional organised crime gangs, the Syndicate does not have a street presence and has not been known to engage in territorial feuds, and evidence suggests that until now, it has focused its activities on financial crime. The fact that it appears to be moving into the drugs trade is a development that has taken ASIS by surprise, and it is important to find out why they have done this. However, the lack of a street presence makes it very difficult to infiltrate and the group is notorious for meticulously checking the backgrounds of everyone associated with them, to prevent undercover police officers or journalists from gathering information, and are suspected to be behind a number of brutal murders of former members who have threatened to go to the police. As such, ASIS is anxious that they do not get a grip on Melbourne's drugs trade in any permanent capacity.