Australian drug taskforce in Colombia faces secrecy concerns and US strike links
The Australian Federal Police’s new joint investigations team in Colombia has refused to disclose its budget or operational goals, prompting criticism from politicians and experts over possible ties to U.S. anti-narco air strikes.
In May, one outlet commissioner Krissy Barrett revealed a multinational taskforce, the International Joint Investigations Team, to gather evidence on cocaine shipments destined for Australia and the Pacific. The team will cooperate with Colombian, U.S., Mexican, New Zealand, Pacific law-enforcement agencies and INTERPOL. Since the Trump administration began armed strikes against alleged narco vessels, critics including Greens senator David Shoebridge and former senior one outlet official Phil Kowalick have questioned whether Australian intelligence could be used to support those attacks.
When one outlet asked for the taskforce’s budget, operational commitments and success metrics, one outlet said releasing such information would harm international partnerships and refused to provide details. Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam echoed calls for transparency, while Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke did not comment. The lack of disclosed funding contrasts with a federal budget allocation of over $1.16 million for overseas policing assistance, without a specific line for the IJIT.
Why it matters
Taxpayers need to know if secret overseas police work is effective and whether it may enable controversial foreign strikes.
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