Guardian AU
Confidential report found former home affairs boss Michael Pezzullo was ‘reckless’ in engagement with Liberal powerbroker
A confidential report obtained through a freedom of information battle found former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo acted "recklessly" and exceeded the boundaries of standard public service conduct in his dealings with a Liberal powerbroker. The previously unreleased findings from an independent probe ultimately led to Pezzullo's dismissal. The report underscores serious questions about the politicisation of senior bureaucratic roles and the limits of appropriate engagement between public servants and party operatives.
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Nine charged over alleged conspiracy to import tonnes of cocaine and meth via ‘mother ship’ in Australian waters
Nine men have been charged over an alleged plot to smuggle tonnes of cocaine and methamphetamine into Australia via a "mother ship" anchored in Bass Strait, with drugs reportedly destined for collection at a designated drop-zone before being distributed nationally through trucking networks. The operation unravelled after a commercial trawler sank off the Victorian coast, prompting police suspicion that led to the broader investigation. If the allegations hold, the case represents one of the more elaborate maritime drug importation schemes uncovered in Australian waters.
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Sunken trawler alerts police to alleged drug-smuggling plan
A sunken fishing trawler has unraveled an alleged large-scale drug operation, leading to charges against nine men accused of plotting to smuggle cocaine into Victoria by sea. The discovery prompted a police investigation into what authorities say was a sophisticated maritime smuggling scheme involving tonnes of the drug. The case highlights the growing use of coastal routes by criminal networks attempting to move narcotics into Australia.
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Breaking: Two arrested as part of investigation into movements of Dezi Freeman
Two people have been arrested in connection with an investigation into the movements of Dezi Freeman, who was killed in a police shooting last week following a months-long manhunt. Authorities are working to establish how Freeman evaded capture for so long and who may have aided him during that time. The arrests signal that the investigation extends well beyond Freeman himself.
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Victoria police arrest two people as part of Dezi Freeman investigation
Two people have been arrested in north-east Victoria as investigators probe how fugitive Dezi Freeman evaded capture for seven months before being shot dead last week. A man and woman, detained at separate properties around 7am Saturday, are being interviewed over suspected support networks that kept Freeman on the run. The arrests signal police are determined to hold accountable anyone who aided the Porepunkah fugitive during his lengthy disappearance.
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