Criminal informant warns senator that former undercover AFP agents are in danger, threatens to reveal identity

An informant from inside a dangerous organised crime mob says they and at least one other gang member have identified the undercover cops forced into hiding after their cover was blown, and the city where one of them is currently living with their family.

The shocking revelations, described as a “clear threat” to the security of the Australian Federal Police officer, came after the criminal informant approached independent Senator David Van saying they believed their cover had also been compromised.

The Nightly revealed last month that the former AFP officers have been in hiding for several years and the AFP had no “exit plan” to explain why they had vanished from their long-entrenched positions in the crime network.

Senator Van said the informant contacted him and arranged a face-to-face meeting to tell him the former undercover agents had been identified and were not safe.

Senator David Van immediately told Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and the AFP about the startling approach warning if the informant is squeezed or threatened, they may trade the identity of the agents to mob bosses for leniency.

“This constitutes a clear and present threat,” Senator Van said.

“AFP leadership can no longer assert there is no threat … and by extension you can no longer ignore this failure to protect these brave members of our AFP.

“It is incomprehensible for the AFP to not now acknowledge that the identity of the…(undercover) is compromised.”

The undercover agents, who have feared this day would come, said their anxiety levels have escalated.

The AFP Association president Alex Caruana said the members lives are at risk and the Federal Government must act immediately.

The officers have pleaded with Mr Dreyfus for help.

“We know this information is valuable in criminal circles so of course these former AFP officers will be worried that it will be sold. This will put them and their families at even greater risk,” said Senator Van.

Greens justice spokesman Senator David Shoebridge said the “exact risk” identified by the officers is coming to fruition.

“Surely that should be the wake-up call needed for the Attorney-General to act,” Senator Shoebridge said.

The agents, who infiltrated more than one crime group at the highest levels — multiple times and for years on end in locations around the country, say Australia is no longer safe for them.

They have consistently asked the AFP to relocate them and their families overseas. But the AFP have refused, instead giving them a home security system with a panic button and telling them if they run into the mobsters on the street to call 000.

Complicating matters is that the AFP did an initial risk and threat assessment which found they had an “expected or certain threat” from the organised crime gang.

But a subsequent “unscheduled” assessment was initiated by the AFP executive using a different criteria. The undercover agents said the second assessment did not meet accepted standards and failed to consider key elements such as criminal informants who have just revealed themselves.

The second assessment downgraded the threat to just “possible” and the agents believe it was played down because of the cost of the protection needed for “an expected or certain threat.”

In a letter to the AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw, the AFPA said they had “been advised by a senior AFP member involved in the ‘body of works’ of the misconduct, malpractice and poor work standards that took place during its production.”

Four senior AFP officers involved in that downgraded threat assessment are now under investigation by internal affairs for a string of offences including misconduct and abuse of office.

The former undercover agents have taken action against the AFP under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration, to cover international relocation costs for them and their families, loss of wages, superannuation, and security costs.

Senator Van has called on Mr Dreyfus to “stand aside the relevant senior AFP leaders who currently have or previously had, carriage of this matter immediately and as the Minister responsible take responsibility for this matter. “

“Attention also needs to be given to human sources (informants) and unwitting public participants involved in AFP operations or anyone else put at risk by the AFP’s incompetence,” he said.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale responded to questions from the union saying “please be assured the AFP is taking the matters seriously”.

But Ms Gale said the letter from Senator Van “does not contain any information relating to a direct or implied threat” to the members.

But she said the AFP was following up “some new information”.

An AFP spokeswoman said airing these issues publicly was counter-intuitive. “No member of the AFP’s undercover program has been physically harmed or fatally injured because they have been identified by organised crime or any other criminal,” she said.