[Australia]: Operation Two Step

[Owen]

​

​

​

​

OPERATION TWO STEP​

TOP SECRET​

​

Objective:	Operation Two Step is an ongoing security and ASIO-led operation within the domestic borders of Australia aimed at countering the influence of and individuals of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) within the small Kurdish diaspora, primarily located within Melbourne and Sydney. ASIO will work with the Australian Federal Police through the Joint Counter Terrorism Teams in both New South Wales and Victoria. Australian Border Force is tasked with ensuring the integrity of Australia's borders and immigration system and is to ensure that individuals with links to the PKK are handled with accordingly when they pass through a port of entry into or out of Australia. The operation is to also encompass elements of counter-espionage and counter-foreign interference as the risk of Turkish intelligence conducting espionage, intimidating, harassing, threatening or even harming members of the Kurdish diaspora in Australia for perceived or real links to the PKK remain high. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre will monitor financial movements originating or arriving to persons of interest.
Date:	1 March 2009 - Present
Location:	Melbourne, Victoria and Sydney, New South Wales
Status:	Ongoing

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Australian Federal Police Australian Border Force Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)

Kurdistan Workers' Party Melbourne Cell Sydney Cell

Turkey National Intelligence Organisation Main Intelligence Directorate

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Bill Shorten (Minister for Home Affairs) Mike Burgess (Director-General of Security) Commissioner Krissy Barrett (Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police) Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg (Commissioner of the Australian Border Force) Elizabeth Montano (Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre) Greg Moriarty (Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator)

Abdullah Öcalan (Leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party) Renas Lelikan (Chair of the Kurdish Association of Victoria, Alleged Leader of the Melbourne Cell)

İbrahim Kalın (Director of the National Intelligence Organisation) General Cemal Tural (Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate)

STRENGTH​

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation: Intelligence Service Delivery Group Counter Terrorism B (100x Intelligence Agents) Counter Espionage and Interference D (100x Intelligence Agents) Australian Federal Police: Deputy Commissioner, National Security Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command Joint Counter Terrorism Team Victoria (50x Police Officers, 10x Police Cars) Joint Counter Terrorism Team New South Wales (50x Police Officers, 10x Police Cars) Australian Border Force: Regional Operations Counter Terrorism Unit - Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport (20x Border Force Officers) Counter Terrorism Unit - Melbourne-Tullamarine International Airport (20x Border Force Officers) Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre: Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Intelligence National Manager, National Security (20x Officers)

Unknown

Unknown

CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

None

None

Jay

 

[Owen]

One of the first acts of Operation Two Step was a simple act of cancelling the passport of Renas Lelikan, based on information received from the Turkish Embassy. The Minister for Foreign Affairs retained the power, under the Australian Passports Act 2005, to cancel any Australian passport on the grounds of national security. A letter would be sent to Mr. Lelikan informing him of his passport cancellation. However, Australia was a democracy and had the rule of law and as stated in the letter, he was able to appeal the decision to the Administrative Review Tribunal. If the Administrative Review Tribunal upheld the decision, he still had many legal avenues to continue fighting this decision. As almost predicted by ASIO and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he immediately would launch a challenge to the ruling with the Administrative Review Tribunal. However, the case load of the ART was enormous, dealing with a variety of government decisions, particularly decisions made under the Social Security Act, so his case was not going to be heard for months, which bought enough time and at least put the brakes on his ability to travel outside of Australia. The passports of all his immediate family members and known associates would also be cancelled so they could not act on his behalf.

Another matter that AUSTRAC was working on immediately based on the information from the Turkish Embassy was large volumes of money leaving Australia. Specifically the information stated:

"Renas Lelikan then transferred the bulk of the received funds, in tranches of $9,000–$14,000, to a currency exchange office in Diyarbakır. Structuring below reporting thresholds is deliberate to avoid detection."

However, under Australian law, cash transactions of $10,000AUD or more MUST be reported and ALL international transfers must be reported regardless of amount. Either two things happened here: either the financial institution in Australia failed in its obligations under the law or, the Turkish intelligence agencies were deliberately creating false information to discredit the Kurdish Association of Victoria. Investigations would be immediately launched into the bank accounts opened by Renas Lelikan, which were pretty easy to find, as Australian law required a 100-point identity check on any person opening an account with a financial institution. Investigations would look into the suspicious transactions and whether or not the financial institutions failed in their obligations under the law, which may lead to AUSTRAC filing legal proceedings against the financial institution in the Federal Court.

AUSTRAC would issue a directive, under the Financial Transaction Reports Act 1988, to all financial institutions that all transfers going to Turkey, Iraq or Iran must be immediately blocked and reported to AUSTRAC and then cleared or denied through AUSTRAC.

Jay