Daily Telegraph
AN unprecedented security intelligence-sharing arrangement between spy agencies and customs will lock down Australia’s borders to potential jihadists either trying to return to Australia or leave our shores to join Syrian and Iraqi terror groups.
The Daily Telegraph understands customs officials will be given higher-level intelligence briefs in the wake of the failure that enabled convicted Sydney terrorist Khaled Sharrouf to slip out of the country last year using his brother’s passport.
An urgent review initiated by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General George Brandis following the border blunder, known as the Cousins’ review, is believed to have found holes in the security net from the airport barrier all the way up to ASIO.
| Australian-born “Terror Nine” member Khaled Sharrouf who slipped out of the country unnoticed on his brother’s passport. |
The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed Sharrouf, a convicted terrorist from south-western Sydney, is in Iraq with the militant group ISIL, which is trying to overthrow the Iraqi government.
Yesterday Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the border protection agencies were on high alert for up to 150 Australians believed to be fighting in either Syria or Iraq seeking to return to Australia and for associates trying to leave Australia to join them.
More than 50 passports had been cancelled, the Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday.
But a draft report of the Cousins’ review is believed to have uncovered a 9/11 “silo mentality” scenario in Australia — a reference to US intelligence failures uncovered after 9/11 — where vital intelligence which could have stopped Sharrouf at the gate was not shared.
Senior government sources revealed new intelligence-sharing arrangements were being rolled out to ensure customs officers at airport gates had greater access to data that could help them identify people on watch lists. Read more.
Read more about Australia goes into terror lockdown VIDEO
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