Melbourne: Police focus on next generation felons

TWO new police taskforces will investigate the organised crime syndicates that are planning to fill the void created by Melbourne's bloody underworld war. The units will be modelled on the Purana taskforce that has laid charges or made progress in 17 gangland killings, effectively breaking the underworld code of silence.

The head of crime tasked operations, Detective Superintendent Richard Grant, said police planned to operate three Purana-type investigation groups. The two new groups to work alongside Purana will be known as taskforces 400 and 500. Mr Grant said each would comprise about 50 staff and would be able to call on a pool of more than 30 investigative accountants, lawyers and analysts. "It will be a multi-disciplinary approach designed to identify organised crime targets, investigate their activities and identify their assets," he said.

Mr Grant said the taskforces would work with other government agencies, including the Tax Office, to try to strip suspects of their profits. They will also use the coercive powers of the chief examiner's office to compel suspects to answer questions in secret interrogation hearings. Mr Grant said police were aware that criminal groups were positioning themselves to take over areas once dominated by gangsters who have been killed or jailed during Melbourne's underworld war. "We are in the target development phase of identifying the suspects that we should concentrate on. We will be moving on the next generation and established networks."

Mr Grant said police needed an accurate criminal intelligence bank to anticipate which criminals were likely to become major influences in Melbourne's gangland. Police say the profits from drug trafficking mean little-known criminals can became major influences in months. Mr Grant said the crime department would become more flexible and equipped to handle complex organised crime investigations and to move on the next generation of drug entrepreneurs.

The new strategy means that as many as 50 police could investigate one suspect, a small group or a major syndicate. They will also investigate lawyers, accountants and financial advisers who are suspected of helping criminals launder funds to avoid asset seizure.

As part of the crime department restructure, eight squads — organised crime, tactical response, Asian, prison, homicide cold case, missing persons, fraud and casino — were closed two weeks ago to free detectives for new investigations. Senior police say the work of the closed squads will continue to be investigated by detectives.

But Police Association secretary Senior Sergeant Paul Mullett said the crime department restructure was "introduced by stealth to an artificial deadline". "There has been no research conducted into how it will affect workloads and service delivery," he said. He said there were some good initiatives in the new model but there was a need for greater investment in technology such as listening devices and phone taps.

The Purana taskforce has persuaded several insiders to provide information on Melbourne's gangland war and on Friday arrested a man over the murder of gangster Mark Mallia, whose burnt body was found on August 18, 2003, in Sunshine.
Damian Cossu, 30, was arrested at gunpoint in Sydney and extradited to Melbourne where he was remanded in custody over the murder. Cossu, of Bonnyrigg in Sydney's west, appeared briefly in court yesterday and showed no reaction as he was remanded to appear again on October 9.

Purana taskforce detectives arrested a second man about 3pm yesterday in Sunshine in relation to Mallia's murder. Christopher Orfanidis, 22, of Ardeer, was charged with murder in an out-of-sessions hearing last night. He was remanded to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court at 10am today. Mallia's charred body was found in a wheelie bin left in West Sunshine on August 18, 2003. He was identified by a tattoo on his shoulder.

The Age (www.age.com.au) July 18, 2006