Keystone cop

A top-secret national police operation against organised crime has been marred by an extraordinary bungle by a Territory officer.

The officer mistakenly emailed information about the campaign to one of the criminal targets.

The criminal cheekily emailed back, saying: "thanks for the info".

A source said: "This kind of incompetence is amazing.

"The police and legal profession are stunned by the stupidity of it."

Police last night denied any "sensitive" information had been sent out.

The Territory officer was helping the Canberra-based Australian Crime Commission run Operation Callista, which is investigating criminal gangs.

The ACC believes Territory bikies are involved in manufacturing amphetamines and laundering money.

The officer is believed to have been monitoring email traffic between criminals when the information was accidentally sent.

The nature of the information in it is not known.

The bungle prompted Territory Police Assistant Commissioners Mark Payne and Grahame Kelly to send a confidential email to officers on Wednesday reminding them that it is a criminal offence -- punishable by imprisonment -- for police to reveal details of ACC investigations.

The email, which has been obtained by the Northern Territory News, says information cannot even be passed to other officers without permission.

The Territory officers involved in Callista are commanded by George Owen, but he refused to comment last night.

The ACC is known to have questioned several prominent Darwin citizens, including lawyers, in the past few months.

ACC officers from Sydney and Adelaide have carried out at least three secret hearings in Darwin since June 2003.

Callista began at least three years ago under the now-defunct National Crime Authority.

Investigations across all states have resulted in more than 300 arrests and 900 charges.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 17th December 2004
Source: Northern Territory News
Author: Nigel Adlam
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News