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Police are raiding the Queensland headquarters of the CFMEU in Brisbane as part of a cross-border operation involving Queensland and Victorian detectives and allegations that union officials were corrupted.
The surprise raid was launched as part of a police operation led by Victoria’s Taskforce Hawk.
According to information detailed in search warrants, authorities allege that CFMEU officials are involved in the federal crime of seeking to corrupt a member of a registered trade union.
The co-operation between Queensland and Victorian police is a significant development and reveals attempts to uncover suspected crime and corruption in the building industry has become a borderless effort.
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About 10 plain-clothed officers were seen at the premises in Bowen Hills, in Brisbane’s inner north, on Wednesday morning, with a security guard stationed inside.
Three unmarked police cars were parked outside the building, and the door was manually opened to let each officer inside.
A CFMEU spokesperson told this masthead: “CFMEU has been made aware of a police investigation this morning and will co-operate fully.”
The last significant corrupting benefits case involved the jailing of former NSW CFMEU official Darren Greenfield and his son Michael.
The suspected offending that led to the raid on Wednesday allegedly took place in Queensland and NSW.
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Regardless of whether the raids lead to charges, they are almost certain to inform the coming Victorian royal commission and the ongoing Queensland commission of inquiry into the CFMEU.
The police activity comes a fortnight after the taskforce oversaw raids targeting officials in Victoria and former members of an outlaw bikie gang in connection to allegations of bribery and criminal activity.
More to come
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Nick McKenzie is an Age investigative journalist who has three times been named the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year. A winner of 20 Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, he investigates politics, business, foreign affairs and criminal justice.Connect via email.Dominique Tassell is a reporter at Brisbane Times.AdvertisementAdvertisement