MOU to target people smuggling syndicates operating out of Indonesia

Asher Hirsch made this Freedom of Information request to Australian Federal Police

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Australian Federal Police.

Dear Australian Federal Police,

In 2002, AFP Commissioner Keelty told the Certain Maritime Incident (CMI) Committee that on the 15th September 2000 a “specific protocol under the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] to target people smuggling syndicates operating out of Indonesia” was agreed to by the AFP and their counterparts the Indonesian National Police.

The CMI Committee at the time requested the Protocol and MOU. It is not clear if this protocol and MOU was ever produced to the Committee.

I request under the Freedom of Information Act the MOU referred to above and the related Protocol.

For background to this request, you can read the Additional Comments to the CMI Report by Senator John Faulkner here:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Busi...

Yours faithfully,

Asher Hirsch

FOI, Australian Federal Police

Thank you for your email.

Please note that this is an automated response to confirm that your email was sent to the Australian Federal Police Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox.

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Dear FOI,

To provide further clarification on this request, here is a little more information about the documents I am seeking:

I am seeking a specific protocol between the AFP and Indonesian National Police to target people smuggling syndicates operating out of Indonesia. The Protocol was established on 15 September 2000 and is part of a broader Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the AFP and INP to cooperate on investigations into transnational crime. That MOU was originally agreed on 27 October 1995 and renewed on 13 June 2002. I am requesting both the MOU and the protocol.

Yours sincerely,

Asher Hirsch

FOI, Australian Federal Police

Thank you for your email.

Please note that this is an automated response to confirm that your email was sent to the Australian Federal Police Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox.

This FOI inbox is monitored between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays and the period from 27-31 December.

If you wish to lodge a request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), please ensure that your request is in writing, states that it is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act and provides sufficient detail describing the documents you wish to access.

If you are requesting personal information about yourself then please ensure you enclose a copy of your photographic identification.

Further details on how to make a valid FOI request can be found on the Australian Federal Police’s website at: http://www.afp.gov.au/about-the-afp/foi-...

The Australian Federal Police will acknowledge your request in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Act.

The FOI Team can be contacted on 02 6131 6131

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FOI, Australian Federal Police

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Asher Hirsch,

 

I refer to your application dated 22 August 2017 in which you seek access
to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) as
follows:

 

“In 2002, AFP Commissioner Keelty told the Certain Maritime Incident (CMI)
Committee that on the 15th September 2000 a “specific protocol under the
MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] to target people smuggling syndicates
operating out of Indonesia” was agreed to by the AFP and their
counterparts the Indonesian National Police.

 

I request under the Freedom of Information Act the MOU referred to above
and the related Protocol.”

 

Information considered irrelevant to the scope of your request

 

The AFP, in its management of FOI requests, excludes the following
information on the basis that is irrelevant to the scope of a request:

 

-      Names of AFP members, other than the Senior Executive.

-      Direct telephone numbers, signatures and mobile telephone numbers
of AFP members.

-      Duplicate documents, including duplicate emails.  The AFP will only
provide emails where they form a final email chain and the
authors/recipients are contained within the final email. 

-      Information that is publicly available, for example, newspaper
articles, online publications including information available on the AFP
Information Publication Scheme and the AFP disclosure log.

 

If you object to the AFP excluding any of the above information, please
advise this office within seven days of receipt of this letter.

 

Your request was received by this agency on 22 August 2017 and the 30 day
statutory period for processing your request commenced from that date.

 

You will be notified of any charges in accordance with the Freedom of
Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations, should they apply, in relation
to your request as soon as practicable. 

 

Disclosure Log

 

Please be advised that in accordance with section 11C of the Act, an
agency is required to publish information on their website following the
notification of a decision in respect of a freedom of information
request. 

 

The requirement to publish information released under FOI reinforces the
objectives of the FOI Act to promote a pro-disclosure culture across
government and to increase recognition that information held by government
is a national resource.  Exceptions to the requirement to publish
information would apply to personal information and information concerning
the business affairs of a person if it was considered ‘unreasonable’ to do
so.  Details of the decision may be published in a Disclosure Log which
can be found at
[1]https://www.afp.gov.au/about-us/informat....
Publication will be made in accordance with timeframes stipulated in
section 11C of the Act.

 

If, however, after noting the above, you wish to raise any concerns about
the publication of information concerning your request prior to the
notification of a decision, please advise this office in writing  before
21 September 2017.  If you do not raise any concerns prior to the date of
the decision, the AFP will publish the information as notified to you in
the decision.

 

Yours sincerely

 

TANYA (AFP14692)
TEAM MEMBER, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
LEGAL

Tel +61(0) 2 61316131  

[2]www.afp.gov.au

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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FOI, Australian Federal Police

1 Attachment

UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Asher Hirsch,

 

I refer to your email dated 22 August 2017 in which you seek access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

 

Upon consideration of your request, the AFP is of the view that your
request will take longer than 30 days to process.  The delay is
regrettable, however, due to delays being experienced by the relevant AFP
line areas, who are still in the process of gathering the information, and
the subsequent delays in receiving the documents by this office,  it will
not be possible to advise you of a decision by 21 September 2017.

 

Accordingly, pursuant to section 15AA of the Act, I seek your agreement to
extend the period to notify you of a decision to 21 October 2017.

 

I would be grateful if you would advise this office in writing of your
agreement to the proposed extension of time. 

 

If you have any queries in relation to this matter, please do not hesitate
to contact this office.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

TANYA (AFP14692)
TEAM MEMBER, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
LEGAL

Tel +61(0) 2 61316131  

[1]www.afp.gov.au

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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WARNING

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are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that you
have received this message in error and that any use, copying,
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attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the
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error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your
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AFP Web site: http://www.afp.gov.au
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Dear FOI,

I agree to an extension of time and note the new due date of 21 October 2017.

Yours sincerely,

Asher Hirsch

FOI, Australian Federal Police

Thank you for your email.

Please note that this is an automated response to confirm that your email was sent to the Australian Federal Police Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox.

This FOI inbox is monitored between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays and the period from 27-31 December.

If you wish to lodge a request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), please ensure that your request is in writing, states that it is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act and provides sufficient detail describing the documents you wish to access.

If you are requesting personal information about yourself then please ensure you enclose a copy of your photographic identification.

Further details on how to make a valid FOI request can be found on the Australian Federal Police’s website at: http://www.afp.gov.au/about-the-afp/foi-...

The Australian Federal Police will acknowledge your request in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Act.

The FOI Team can be contacted on 02 6131 6131

**********************************************************************
WARNING

This email message and any attached files may contain information
that is confidential and subject of legal privilege intended only for
use by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you
are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that you
have received this message in error and that any use, copying,
circulation, forwarding, printing or publication of this message or
attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the
information contained therein. If you have received this message in
error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your
inbox.

AFP Web site: http://www.afp.gov.au
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FOI, Australian Federal Police

2 Attachments

For-Official-Use-Only

 

Dear Asher

 

I refer to your FOI request dated 22 August 2017.

 

I attach my decision regarding your request.

 

Kind regards

 

MATT BAILLIE
TEAM LEADER - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
CHIEF COUNSEL PORTFOLIO

Tel +61(0) 2 61312592  Ext 142592

[1]www.afp.gov.au
[2]cid:image001.gif@01D333B4.0D269AC0

 

 

For-Official-Use-Only

 

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WARNING

This email message and any attached files may contain information
that is confidential and subject of legal privilege intended only for
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are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for
delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that you
have received this message in error and that any use, copying,
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attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the
information contained therein. If you have received this message in
error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your
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AFP Web site: http://www.afp.gov.au
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