OPERATION STREAMBANK

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about a joint SAPOL and AFP operation known as Operation Streambank.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: On 27 July 2007, a South Australian farmer was kidnapped by an organised scam gang, beaten, stripped, had his cash and credit cards taken and was held hostage in Bamako, the capital of the West African country of Mali. Will the minister provide the chamber with information on how a joint operation between South Australian police and the Australian Federal Police saw the safe return of the man to South Australia?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:23): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am pleased that at least members of the government side do recognise and want to highlight the good work that our police in South Australia do. Just like Operation Cradle, Operation Fawn and all the other successful operations, this is yet another successful operation in which our police have been involved. In mid-January 2007—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The council will come to order. We were late starting today. Obviously the Adelaide Club has shifted a kilometre down the road. We have been interrupted throughout question time with interjections. Members are about to get a nice break, so sit there in silence.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: In mid-January 2007, a 56 year old farmer from the state's Mid North began communicating with a person known as Natacha by email. Over the following weeks, he began building a 'trusting and caring relationship'. Natacha's demoralising life story appealed to the victim's compassionate side. Through ensuing email correspondence, Natacha attempted to extort money from him with compelling tales of tribulation and desperation. The emails continued for several months, along with requests for money. The victim sent thousands of dollars overseas in an attempt to help her through her troubled situation. However, after receiving the money, she became greedy and the figure grew to $30,000.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The victim decided that it was time to meet Natacha with the intention of bringing her and her younger brother, Peter, back to Australia. He boarded an international flight destined for Mali. He was greeted by several men at the Bamako Airport and was then driven to a house in Mali, supposedly to meet Natacha. Instead, he was met by a group of men armed with machetes and guns, and he was held captive in a tiny cell for a ransom of $100,000. The STAR Operations Negotiator Coordinations Section first heard of the victim's ordeal through an Australian Federal Police (AFP) counterpart who requested SAPOL assistance.

Certain that the victim was in trouble, a worried family member had contacted the AFP and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reporting his situation. The victim had made repeated calls to family and friends asking for large amounts of money which was very unusual and out of character. He seemed to be in a desperate state so, naturally, family and friends were concerned for his welfare. After several discreet inquiries to determine the extent of the situation, a specialist team of SAPOL and AFP negotiators was assembled to work on the victim's safe release. Operation Streambank was launched, with AFP managing the investigation from a major incident room, while 18 SAPOL and three AFP negotiators established a communication control centre and worked in teams from a covert city location.

It was absolutely vital that the captors and the victim remained unaware of any police involvement. To help divert suspicion, the victim's brother played a pivotal role in the negotiation team, becoming the liaison between police negotiators and captors. It became a waiting game, preparing for the next phone call or email. The operation was carefully planned to cover all possible scenarios that could happen, based on the information provided. The conversations had to remain as natural as possible to ensure that the captors felt like they were liaising solely with the family.

Operation members continually mentored and supported the victim's brother throughout negotiations while also trying to lead Mali police to his brother's location. During the operation, the offenders introduced other fictitious characters, including Natacha's brother, Peter, and a so-called Reverend Mark. Each time they were spoken to their voices and vocabulary differed from the previous occasion. Throughout the next 10 exhausting days, negotiators and AFP investigators meticulously recorded every conversation, they researched every avenue and they strategically planned the victim's safe release. The breakthrough came when officers successfully persuaded the captors to reduce the ransom amount from $100,000 to $30,000, and then established a scenario whereby the rest of the money could be collected from the capital, Bamako.

When one of the captors finally agreed and drove the victim to the embassy to collect the money, he was met by an AFP liaison officer and Mali police officers. The victim was returned to Adelaide accompanied by an AFP member on 12 August 2007. Unfortunately, Mali police have still not been able to capture the offenders, and investigations in Mali are still continuing. Although the offenders were not captured, it was a great outcome for the victim, his family and investigators who had worked tirelessly over 10 days to negotiate the release from over 15,800 kilometres away in Adelaide. The knowledge, expertise and professionalism shared between SAPOL and AFP negotiators during the investigation was invaluable, and the whole team should be proud of their contribution to this successful tactical and calculated operation, the details of which we can now release.

Operation Streambank also worked in close cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Canadian Embassy in Mali (which provides consular assistance to Australians in Mali) and Mali's national police to bring the man home safely. This man's experience provides an extreme example of what can happen with internet scams and serves as a warning to South Australians to protect themselves from these types of criminals. The operation also highlights the importance that, if people become aware of a scam or suspect a scam, they should immediately contact either the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs or South Australia Police.

I think the details that I have released show just how complex and resource intensive these operations sometimes are and that the police must adapt to resolve situations such as this, particularly when they are many thousands of kilometres away. Again, I think it illustrates the great work performed by the South Australia Police.