In a groundbreaking move, the Australian Federal Police (AFP)-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has entered into a new agreement with ANZ to intensify efforts against potential child sex offenders. This collaboration marks a significant stride in the fight against child sexual abuse.
Under this joint agreement, an ANZ specialist will be embedded within the ACCCE. Their role will involve real-time monitoring of suspicious financial transactions and cash movements both domestically and internationally. This initiative aims to identify potential criminal activities with greater speed and accuracy.
This partnership is a first for the financial sector, as ANZ becomes the inaugural financial institution to place a specialist within the ACCCE, underscoring a formal commitment to real-time intelligence sharing in support of the AFP’s mission to combat child abuse.
Effective from today, 24 June 2024, the Letter of Exchange (LoE) will facilitate a member of ANZ’s Financial Crime Team joining the ACCCE’s Intelligence Fusion Cell. The agreement is set for a 12-month duration.
The primary goal of this partnership is to enhance collaboration between ANZ and law enforcement, aiming to more effectively target and prosecute offenders involved in the distribution and purchase of sexually abusive material of children for profit.
Helen Schneider, AFP Commander of Human Exploitation at the ACCCE, highlighted the importance of this collaboration in bolstering efforts to identify, locate, and rescue victims and children at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.
“Child sexual abuse offenders can earn significant amounts of money from harming and abusing children. This new partnership between the AFP and ANZ will aid our investigators in targeting and disrupting criminals involved in sextortion, live online child sexual abuse, and organised child sexual abuse networks,” Cmdr Schneider stated.
She added, “The partnership between the AFP and ANZ is crucial, enhancing the investigative capabilities of both agencies. By sharing real-time intelligence, we can dismantle child sexual abuse networks more efficiently. The AFP remains committed to countering serious crimes against children, and this agreement exemplifies the effectiveness of working with our partners.”
Milan Gigovic, ANZ Executive and Head of Financial Crime Threat Management, expressed ANZ’s long-standing support for the AFP’s efforts to combat serious crimes, including money laundering, cybercrime, terrorism, fraud, and child exploitation.
“Our dedicated financial crime team designs specialised algorithms to detect potential threats against the most vulnerable members of our communities. Using sophisticated in-house intelligence tools, we analyse billions of transactions across the financial services sector to produce actionable intelligence, ensuring that perpetrators of serious crimes are swiftly identified and brought to justice,” Mr Gigovic said.
He emphasised the necessity of strong collaboration in tackling complex and cross-border financial crimes. “By embedding a dedicated resource within the ACCCE to share industry insights and financial intelligence, ANZ will play a crucial role in aiding the AFP and its partners to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute child sex offenders,” Gigovic added.
This landmark agreement highlights the power of collaboration between financial institutions and law enforcement in the ongoing fight against child exploitation, setting a new standard for future partnerships.
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