Illegal entry to Oz is well-organized

Illegal entry to Oz is well-organized

CANBERRA (AP): People smuggling into Australia is run by a range of criminal gangs and corrupt officials in China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Mideast, according to a study released on Thursday.

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) said the lucrative people smuggling trade, which transports thousands of people to Australia each year, is fed by migration agents in source countries who provide fake documents and corrupt officials who facilitate movement through international air and sea ports.

Rebecca Tailby, a research analyst with the government institute, said her study has also found that Chinese criminals arrange entry to Australia for Chinese nationals, Thai syndicates recruit prostitutes for work in Australia and Mideast syndicates organize the movement of Iraqis, Afghans and Turks.