POLICE PHONE TAPS BOOM IN VICTORIA

Phone taps by police have nearly tripled in the past three years. The
biggest proportional increase was in Victoria, driven largely by attempts
to crack down on drug traffickers.

An inquiry into the Telecommunications (Interception) Act has found that
warrants to place phone taps - issued to state and national police forces,
the National Crime Authority and anti-corruption commissions - increased
from 675 in 1997-98 to 1689 in 1999-2000.

Victoria Police received 82 warrants for phone interception in 1997-98,
rising to 253 last year.

Authorities must obtain a warrant to tap the phones of alleged criminals
from a judge. Most warrants were issued to aid the investigation of drugs
offences, with murder the next most common crime targeted. Last year there
was also an increase in the use of taps to investigate organised crime.

According to the inquiry report, produced for Federal Parliament, part of
the rise in phone taps was due to "an increasing number of instances in
which targets, particularly those engaged in drug-related crime, exploit
advances in the telecommunications industry by employing multiple services".

Increased funding for anti-drug initiatives also contributed to the number
of warrants, along with a recognition of the effectiveness of phone taps
and new technology to better monitor calls.

Narcotics trafficking and other drug offences accounted for more than 1000
of the warrants issued, followed by 282 for murder and 82 for bribery or
corruption.

In Victoria, 110 warrants were issued in relation to murder investigations,
and 106 in pursuing drug traffickers.