Today the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission have released updated figures for the cost of serious and organised crime in Australia. The Institute estimates that it cost up to $68.7 billion a year in 2022–23, compared to $60.1 billion in 2020–21.
Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) Director and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) CEO Heather Cook said this figure highlights the ever-increasing impact of serious and organised crime on the Australian community.
“The $68.7 billion cost of serious and organised crime represents more than $2,500 for every person in Australia. Imagine the difference this money could make to the Australian community if it was spent on essential services like education, healthcare or emergency responses instead.”
“Criminal networks are focused on maximising profit at the expense of our national security and the wellbeing of the Australian community,” said Ms Cook.
It is clear that the impact of serious and organised crime on the Australian economy continues to impose a substantial burden on all Australian sectors.
As part of this assessment, the AIC has outlined the costs of direct and consequential serious and organised criminal activity ($51.8 billion), as well as the costs to government entities, businesses, and individuals associated with preventing and responding to serious and organised crime ($16.9 billion).
Direct serious and organised crime costs include activities such as illicit drug trafficking, serious financial crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and modern slavery. While crimes such as burglaries, violence and illicit drug abuse can be committed as a consequence of these serious and organised crime activities.
“Whether you’re talking about the big players based offshore or the criminals working for them locally, criminal networks are increasingly agile and resilient and pay little mind to the Australian community they are exploiting,” Ms Cook said.
Protecting Australians and their interests from the impact of serious and organised crime requires a whole-of-government response. The ACIC is at the forefront of combating these threats and this report is an important tool that helps inform our understanding of the economic and societal impacts of serious and organised crime.
In recognition of the complexity and scale of this threat, the Government commissioned and recently released its response to the Independent Review of the ACIC and associated Commonwealth law enforcement arrangements. The review’s recommendations set out a blueprint to strengthen the ACIC’s ability to combat the significant threat posed by serious and organised crime.
“The outcomes of the Independent Review and Government’s commitment to implementing its recommendations are an important step for the ACIC. As Australia’s national criminal intelligence agency, we target our work on exposing the complex and ever shifting nature of serious and organised crime to make Australia hostile to criminals who would seek to do our country harm,” Ms Cook said.
The Estimating the costs of serious and organised crime in Australia 2022–23 report was commissioned by the ACIC and produced by the AIC. The full report is available on the AIC website.
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