Five held after raids at CFMEU Melbourne headquarters in alleged fraud and drug probe
Australian police raided the Victorian headquarters of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union on Monday and took five men into custody as pa...
Australian police raided the Victorian headquarters of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union on Monday and took five men into custody as part of a widening probe into alleged fraud, secret commissions and drug trafficking in the construction sector. The searches stretched from the CFMEU’s Elizabeth Street office in central Melbourne to five homes across the city.
Taskforce Hawk detectives arrived at the union office about 9.30 a.m. and were seen leaving before noon. Police said the operation covered six addresses in total. No arrests were made at the headquarters itself, but five men believed to be union organisers were detained at residential properties, according to the force.
Union pledges internal action
CFMEU administrator Michael Crosby said the union was fully cooperating with police and would run its own internal review of documents and conduct. He said any staff member found to be involved in criminal behaviour would be removed.
“This administration has undertaken unprecedented reform and anyone associated with criminal elements will have absolutely no place in this union's future,” Crosby said.
He also said Taskforce Hawk had not laid charges against any CFMEU official so far and stressed that the presumption of innocence still applied while the investigation continued. The branch, he said, would keep supporting members and staff through the process.
Charges, releases and what police seized
Police later said two men had been charged after the raids. A 36-year-old man from Chirnside Park faced one drug offence, while a 46-year-old from Westbury was charged with two firearms offences. Both were bailed to appear in court later.
Three other men — from Gisborne, Powelltown and Somerville — were released pending further enquiries. Detectives also seized a number of items during the searches, though police did not detail what was taken.
The investigation is part of Taskforce Hawk’s work targeting criminal conduct in Victoria’s construction industry, an area that has long drawn scrutiny from police, regulators and unions alike. For the CFMEU, which has faced intense pressure over governance and conduct, the latest raids add another layer to a year already marked by internal reform and external oversight.
Police are still interviewing those taken into custody, and Taskforce Hawk has not said whether more charges are expected.
