Pacific island countries have become the stepping stones for thousands of Chinese seeking to enter Australia through immigration scams organised by transnational crime syndicates.
The syndicates are at the centre of burgeoning “polycrime” involving extortion, money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, and even the plundering of oceans and forests.
Underscoring Canberra’s concerns, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Mick Keelty, will fly to Beijing for the first time tomorrow for high-level talks on people-smuggling and other criminal activities involving Chinese in the Asia-Pacific region.