How New Zealand can fight back on organised crime

The final report from an advisory group on organised crime is calling on the government to urgently implement its proposed solutions, which include a dedicated minister, a refreshed strategy and a charter that would ensure agencies could be accountable.

It warns against implementing a "smaller, scaled back option" of the recommendations, because it will "not achieve the results we need".

A dedicated transnational serious organised crime (TSOC) minister would lead delivery and drive cross-agency accountability, while a charter would formally recognise organised crime as New Zealand's greatest national security threat, the report states.

Chair of the ministerial advisory group, Steve Symon told RNZ the work is now done, but it's up to the government to enact it.

"[Organised crime] is not a threat that might happen in the future. It's one that is happening now to New Zealand, but it potentially may get much worse, and so that's why we need to treat it with the seriousness that it deserves, and have a response that's bold enough to fight it."

The report, titled LEAD BOLDLY, ACT DECISIVELY: Tackling and Dismantling Organised Crime, is the final in a series that explores the vulnerabilities of the country's overall response to organised crime and the options available to improve it.

Previous reports have outlined various elements of serious and organised crime, such as the importation of illicit drugs, the links to migrant exploitation, and some of the gaps in the country's ability to respond.

The latest report reaffirmed that the situation is "dire" and calling it one of "the most significant threats we face as a country."

"Drugs continue to flood into the country. Wastewater results indicate that drug use is skyrocketing. Cyber fraud has grown exponentially. Organised criminal groups are growing in sophistication and ambition, and are targeting profits from emerging threats, such as fentanyl, exploited migrants and black-market tobacco."

It outlined that the situation will get a lot worse if significant attempts aren't made to reduce organised crime now, and it specified "key structural and system changes are required" in order to strengthen New Zealand's "system-wide" response.

'Our solution'

There are various components to the solution, including:

• A dedicated minister to lead the strategy, drive cross-agency accountability, and champion system reform at a Cabinet level
• A refreshed TSOC Strategy and action plan owned by the Minister that aligns enforcement, regulatory, and social sector efforts around shared priorities. The strategy would also be supported by a TSOC Charter and a sustainable funding model
• An interdepartmental executive board with the responsibility to lead a coordinated, accountable and prevention-led national response
• A TSOC Business Unit led by a Chief Executive, to support the Board with system development and accountability functions
• Integrated partnerships with enforcement agencies, social sector agencies, the private sector, iwi and communities and international allies
• Law and policy reform to close system gaps, strengthen financial disruption tools, and improve information sharing
• Sustainable funding including reinvestment of proceeds of crime and a joint approach to new investment proposals.

It concluded by warning against a scaled-back implementation of these recommendations.

"As we have said, if Cabinet is unable to provide support for the full structure and system that we deliver in this report, we would advise against attempting to implement a smaller, scaled back option. It will not achieve the results we need."

It also suggested funding for three years, initially.

"We recommend that the solution be supported for three years initially. That will provide sufficient time to meaningfully assess impact, whilst being short enough to ensure that momentum is maintained. We are confident that the solution will prove its worth within three years."

'Anything less than that doesn't signify to the public the the significance of the issue' - Chair

The group acknowledged in the report it was with "some reticence" it proposed another ministerial portfolio, "at a time where there are calls to consolidate rather than expand the public sector".

The report argued a new portfolio was warranted, because without ministerial leadership "the ship will be rudderless."

Symon told RNZ the group was clear from the outset it didn't want to recommend another government ministry or agency or department, "we wanted to have a response that was bold but also efficient."

Instead, the group tested the idea of a new minister, asking if it was absolutely necessary.

"We think it is because anything less than that doesn't signify to the public the the significance of the issue and how important it is that we tackle it," said Symon.

Other options like an associate minister portfolio, or making it part of an existing portfolio, or tacking it onto something like Police or Customs were concerning because the problem currently is a lack of accountability and an already fragmented response.

"What we needed is to have someone to be accountable to the public, and then trickling down to all the agencies as well."

He said they've proposed something that can be set up quickly and nimbly.

"So rather than duplicating effort, we're just trying to make sure the government agencies we have at the moment are doing the best job they possibly can."

Part of that accountability is the proposed charter, which would be a formal document recognising organised crime as New Zealand's "greatest national security threat."

"It would set out the expectations on enforcement, intelligence and social agencies to prioritise and deliver on the response to organised crime," said the report.

Symon explained that currently, there is a strategy, "but we haven't had the buy in."

"We haven't had a mechanism to make agencies accountable for doing their bit in the response," he said, which is where the charter would come in.

"Make that like an agreement that each Minister of an agency that's responsible for the fight signs on to to say our agency is committing to fighting organised crime as well as we possibly can."

Minister to respond

Associate Police Minister Casey Costello, who was responsible for the advisory group, said she wanted to have a clear understanding of the organised crime problem the country was facing and a "really innovative solution" that changed the way we were responding to it.

The group was formed to "deliver that innovation" she said.

Costello said the government had yet to make any decisions about implementing the recommendations but acknowledged the importance of acting boldly, because "we've got to look at a national priority for this country."

She referenced the 13 ministerial responsibilities and even more agencies in charge of the response currently.

"What we're driving is some level of accountability and priority across government."

If it was a national security threat she said, then "that level of priority should be reflected in the in the response that we give."

Costello will take the recommendations to cabinet for consideration before any final decisions are made, but she indicated there was "one lever" available through the TSOC strategy refresh.

"I'm hoping that we can implement some of these recommendations through that strategy refresh. But again, the process is still to be determined."

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