AUSTRALIAN prisons are increasingly being used by gangsters, nationally and internationally, to further their illegal activities and networks.

The FBI believes Mexican drug cartels have extended their reach into Australia and would use our prison system to further criminal associations.

"The Mexican gangs' influence is far and wide and no doubt would have infiltrated Australia," FBI Special Agent Herb Brown said.

"They use any means to further criminal activity, including social networks and prisons internationally."

The Australian Crime Commission has brought members of the FBI, the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to Australia for a conference to discuss ways of fighting the growth of crime and gangs within prisons.

The ACC believes a national approach to gathering and sharing criminal intelligence is needed.





"At present there is not a Commonwealth body which oversees the prison system. We know from our own intelligence that prison walls are not a deterrent for hardened criminals to continue their illegal enterprises," ACC chief executive John Lawler said.

Mr Lawler said prisons were obvious places for criminals to make contacts and a national strategy was needed to gather and disseminate intelligence from jails across the country.

Tomorrow the ACC will host an international forum in Canberra on challenges faced by authorities in monitoring criminals inside jail.

"We have seen trends overseas and know from cases here and our intelligence that criminal networks continue to exist within prison. Being incarcerated is not a deterrent to continue criminal behaviour," Mr Lawler said.

"Prisoners make associations which will perpetuate their criminality and help them extend it beyond the correction systems."

Mr Lawler said an ACC officer was already attached to Corrective Services NSW: "We are working with Commissioner Ron Woodham towards a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations."

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Housam El-Afchal jailed for four years over involvement in ATM raids

A SYDNEY father of two took time off from a family beach holiday to drive the getaway car in a raid on a Brisbane bank's ATM which netted $118,000, a court has been told.

The Brisbane District Court was told today that Housam El-Afchal, 33, was nabbed when an off-duty police officer spotted him wiping down an abandoned getaway car and jumped into another vehicle.

Police later spotted the second car parked at Dreamworld, on the Gold Coast, and laid in wait to follow El-Afchal back to his Surfers Paradise holiday unit where he and his wife, Alison Renee Afchal, were both arrested.

However, the court heard El-Afchal had made such steps at rehabilitation while on bail he could tender references from elite national sporting stars Anthony Mundine and Justin Hodges, as well popular Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale, property developer John Samios, and the Federal Member for Oxley Bernie Ripoll.


El-Afchal was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to one count each of break, enter and stealing from an ATM, receiving stolen property and unlawful use of motor vehicle on December 6, 2008.

Judge Nick Samios recommended El-Afchal be eligible for parole on May 5 next year.

Alison Afchal, also 33, was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty to receiving tainted property between December 5 and December 9, 2008.

Prosecutor David Meredith detailed how New South Wales police had started an operation - codenamed "Picadilly 2" - after a spate of daring raids on ATMs in that state.

The raids - known as "gas attacks" - involve pumping oxyceteline gas into the ATMs and setting it alight causing them to explode - thereby giving the bandits access to the money cylinders.

Mr Meredith that on December 5 two other men had broken into car dealerships and a plumbing supply business to steal two cars and some oxyceteline equipment.

About 4am on December 6, a group of men went to the Bank of Queensland branch in Robinson Road, Geebung in Brisbane's north, and gas-attacked it.

After an explosion, which destroyed the ATM, the group stole about $118,000 in $50 and $20 notes.

Mr Meredith said some time later an off-duty policeman spotted two men wiping down a car in the nearby suburb of Nundah.

Mr Meredith said in all about $43,000 - some of it badly burnt - was never recorded by police.

He said this case was the first time anyone had been before a Queensland Court on charges of blowing up an ATM.

Barrister Tony Kimmins, for El-Afchal, said has client had not been a member of any organised gang and had been called in at the last minute to drive the getaway car.

He said El-Afchal was promised a third of the loot and that was what he had received.

Mr Kimmins said El-Afchal had been detained in Queensland while on bail for two-and-a-half years while his family resided in Sydney.

He said, however, during that time El-Afchal had become a valued employee in mainly property development.

 

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