The acting CEO of the ACBPS, Michael Pezzullo, has confirmed the arrest of two Australian Customs and Border Protection Service officers from Sydney International Airport.
The officers are expected to be charged with drug importation, bribery, abuse of public office and other serious offences.
The arrests are part of an ongoing joint agency operation including Customs and Border Protection, Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and the Australian Federal Police.
They follow the arrests of two other Customs and Border Protection officers in August and December 2012. These two officers are no longer employed by Customs and Border Protection and their cases are before the court.
Mr Pezzullo acknowledged the good work of the vast majority of officers within Customs and Border Protection and reaffirmed that they, like the community, would be disappointed by the allegations.
“Last year I pledged that Customs and Border Protection was committed to combating corruption. We are determined to remove from the service anyone who does not share the highest standards of personal and professional integrity,” Mr Pezzullo said.
“Today’s action demonstrates that we are acting on that pledge and there is no place for serious corruption or misconduct in our service.”
Mr Pezzullo has outlined measures already being put in place in response to these issues in a statement to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.
“All of these measures will assist Customs and Border Protection to strengthen our resilience against the type of activity which has been alleged in these cases,” Mr Pezzullo said.
Mr Pezzullo’s full statement can be found here.