Why organised crime is now a national security threat

Why has serious and organised crime – estimated to cost Australia $82.3 billion each year – become a national security issue? How is the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) responding to this? What are the linkages between state actors and transnational and serious organised crime in Australia? What is the role of ACIC and other intelligence organisations in combating transnational crime? How does ACIC work with international partners? In this episode, Heather Cook joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the evolving landscape of transnational crime and its implications for national security in Australia. Heather Cook is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology. She is a career intelligence professional with more than 33 years' experience. Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia. Show notes: NSC academic programs – find out more ACIC CEO ‘opens the books’ on serious and organised crime | National Security College Beyond the checkpoint: managing Australia’s border as a strategic economic and national security asset by Mike Outram Impact of organised crime on Australia laid bare in new report - ABC listen We'd love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to

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Why organised crime is now a national security threat is an episode from The National Security Podcast by ANU National Security College.

This episode is 35:57 long.

This episode was published on Feb 5, 2026.

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