THEY are the new "Untouchables", hitting modern-day Al Capones not with guns but multi-million-dollar tax bills.
Just like Eliot Ness and his fearless squad from the 1920s Prohibition era in the US, Tax Commissioner Michael d'Ascenzo is believed to be the driving force behind an elite team of 100 hand-picked enforcers from the Australian Tax Office taking on organised crime.
The ATO is on the way to taking the profit out of crime - targeting bikie gangs, drug importers and other crime cartels. Its own statistics reveal it has confiscated $335 million from crime groups in the past three years.
ATO deputy commissioner for serious non-compliance Greg Williams said the group was working closely with other crime-fighting agencies.
"(Police) will come to us and say, 'We've got this group of people that we believe are organised criminals', maybe an outlaw motorcycle gang," he said. "We're able to analyse that as a systemic group, and give a strategic analysis back to law enforcement." Former ATO audit manager Chris Seage said overseas experience vindicated the approach.
"Just as with Al Capone, you can catch criminals by following the money," he said.
The ATO is increasingly involved in criminal investigations by federal and state police forces. It works on five national taskforces and 24 joint-agency operations, including investigations of the waterfront, bikie gangs and Victoria's underbelly.
The Australian Crime Commission estimates organised crime costs Australia $10-15 billion a year.
"Just because your business happens to be illegal, doesn't mean you shouldn't pay your taxes," Mr Williams said.ATO can give its officers assumed names though it was not using that power, Mr Williams said.
Mr Seage said some ATO officers were protected in "fortress-like accommodation" while secret files on organised crime were stored in safes. He said the image of tax officers as desk jockeys was outdated.
"They have the power to conduct static, foot and mobile covert surveillance of suspected criminals," he said.
This news story is reprinted from www.theaustralian.com.au.
To read more details, Please Accounting Outsourcing Services
Just like Eliot Ness and his fearless squad from the 1920s Prohibition era in the US, Tax Commissioner Michael d'Ascenzo is believed to be the driving force behind an elite team of 100 hand-picked enforcers from the Australian Tax Office taking on organised crime.
The ATO is on the way to taking the profit out of crime - targeting bikie gangs, drug importers and other crime cartels. Its own statistics reveal it has confiscated $335 million from crime groups in the past three years.
ATO deputy commissioner for serious non-compliance Greg Williams said the group was working closely with other crime-fighting agencies.
"(Police) will come to us and say, 'We've got this group of people that we believe are organised criminals', maybe an outlaw motorcycle gang," he said. "We're able to analyse that as a systemic group, and give a strategic analysis back to law enforcement." Former ATO audit manager Chris Seage said overseas experience vindicated the approach.
"Just as with Al Capone, you can catch criminals by following the money," he said.
The ATO is increasingly involved in criminal investigations by federal and state police forces. It works on five national taskforces and 24 joint-agency operations, including investigations of the waterfront, bikie gangs and Victoria's underbelly.
The Australian Crime Commission estimates organised crime costs Australia $10-15 billion a year.
"Just because your business happens to be illegal, doesn't mean you shouldn't pay your taxes," Mr Williams said.ATO can give its officers assumed names though it was not using that power, Mr Williams said.
Mr Seage said some ATO officers were protected in "fortress-like accommodation" while secret files on organised crime were stored in safes. He said the image of tax officers as desk jockeys was outdated.
"They have the power to conduct static, foot and mobile covert surveillance of suspected criminals," he said.
This news story is reprinted from www.theaustralian.com.au.
To read more details, Please Accounting Outsourcing Services
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