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14/05/2026

The availability of illicit to***co in Australia has reached plague proportions, with organised crime involving itself in the smuggling and distribution of the product. And here’s the strange part – it’s the result of a public health policy success story!

This episode looks at the nature and scale of the problem with Inspector Rohan Best. Sergey Alexeev and Professor Don Weatherburn then discuss their research findings regarding the so-called he**in drought at the turn of the century, and how it might present some lessons for today’s law enforcement agencies.

The episode is available through all major podcast apps or can be heard at www.apjl.com.au.

14/04/2026

What would be the challenges facing Australian police, should Australia find itself involved in an existential war for national survival?

The globe is currently experiencing intense geo-strategic rivalries and changing international norms. The Australian Government has described this era as being the most complex set of strategic circumstances since the end of the Second World War in 1945. War isn't certain, but many nations (including Australia) are currently building up their military capabilities and equipment levels, just in case.

In our latest podcast episode we look at Australian policing during the Second World War, and of Ukrainian policing in that nation's current defensive war against Russia, to identify what wartime policing could look like. Given the nature of modern war - especially the use of long-range missiles, drones, cyber hacks as well as acts of sabotage to cause civilian chaos - Australian police could find themselves effectively in the front lines. Further, police operations in wartime are likely to be impacted by societal anxieties, staffing availability and issues surrounding the reliability of equipment. Professionalism, innovation, resilience and dedication to service, will be critical for policing a nation at war.

The episode can be downloaded through all major podcast apps, or can be heard at the APJ's website ww.apjl.com.au.

25/02/2026

Our March 2026 edition is online, with hardcopies to be posted to subscribers later this week.

In this issue are the following articles:

• Welcome to Northern Territory Police Force Commissioner Martin Dole APM.
• '6 Minutes of Terror' – a minute-by-minute account of the 2024 Bondi Junction Stabbing.
• 'Amy Scott – A Brave Battle' – After her bravery at the Bondi Junction Stabbing, Inspector Scott now faces another battle, this time with cancer.
• 'Clan Labs' – Insight into the formation of the Australasian Clandestine Laboratory Association.
• 'Total War: A Police Perspective' – Speculates on the challenges facing Australian policing should the nation again find itself at war.
• 'The Ju**ie Express' – A police investigation into the domestic and international activities of an Asian criminal syndicate operating in Western Sydney.
• Forensic Award – Dr Duncan Taylor PSM was recently presented with a prestigious award.
• Bravery – Nominations have been called for the Police Federation of Australia’s National Police Bravery Award.
• 'APJ Unsolved' – Read about the unsolved murder of taxi driver Bryan Hodgkinson, which occurred in Bundaberg, Queensland.
• Editorial – Regarding the recent Bondi Beach terrorist attack.

Go to www.apjl.com.au to access the online versions, and to subscribe.

Northern Territory Police Force NSW Police Force Australian Federal Police Queensland Police Service Victoria Police Western Australia Police Force Tasmania Police South Australia Police

14/02/2026

Our latest podcast episode has been released!

Distinguished crime reporter and author Janet Fife-Yeomans talks about some of the more interesting cases she covered during her career, and the books she has written about serial killers, sudden deaths, murderers and rapists.

Janet, the daughter of a policeman, started her career in England before migrating to Australia. She worked for newspapers in Western Australia and then in New South Wales. Cases touched on in this conversation include the death of musician Michael Hutchens, the Port Arthur Massacre and the horrendous goings on in the Chelmsford Hospital where psychiatric patients were maliciously killed while being treated.

Janet also provides her thoughts on police/media engagement, as well as insight into some of her books regarding serial killers and coronial investigations. Recently, Janet has begun writing for the APJ and her articles are discussed.

This can be accessed at all major podcast apps, or heard at www.apjl.com.au/podcast/

15/01/2026

Our January 2026 podcast episode is a discussion with the lead investigator of 'Strike Force Reddan' - the investigation to establish the identity of the 'Family Law Court Bomber'.

In the 1980s four people were murdered and several others were seriously injured in a series of crimes linked to the Parramatta Family Law Court. Victims were killed or injured by gunfire or explosion; several buildings were also destroyed or damaged in the attacks.

A major police investigation at the time was unable to uncover sufficient evidence to press charges. Strike Force Reddan was formed in the 2010s by the NSW Police Force as a cold case investigation, with the police team utilising modern forensic and information technology.

Detective Inspector Mathieu Russell headed Strike Force Reddan and in this episode he talks about key aspects of the investigation and resulting court case, and reflects on the challenges facing police both at the time the offences occurred and more recently.

The episode complements the feature article about the investigation, titled Warwick V Warwick. The article appeared in the June 2025 edition of the APJ, at www.apjl.com.au

12/12/2025

Our latest has been released.

Five short crime case studies from the April-June 1947 issue of the APJ, give insight to policing in the first half of the 20th Century. Case 1: use an ingenious method to locate a notorious counterfeiter. Case 2: police use common sense and legwork to identify arsonists who had damaged a factory. Case 3: how fraudsters came unstuck, attempting to defraud the government of petrol coupons. Case 4: a lovestruck armed robber is apprehended by detectives. Case 5: a man is murdered in rural Queensland and his body is found in remote NSW.

These case studies are some of the first to ever appear in the APJ.

The episode is available through any podcast app, or at www.apjl.com.au

02/12/2025

Our December 2025 issue is full of interesting and compelling stories including:

• Profiles on the new commissioners of the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police Force, and tributes to their now-retired predecessors
• Information about sovereign citizens and their behaviours towards
• An update on the police search for the murderer of Victoria Police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart
• The 10th anniversary of the murder of police employee Curtis Cheng, who was killed by a terrorist
• How police brought to justice, a pair of Romanian criminals who sabotaged numerous ATMs in Australia
• The story of two determined police detectives who believed that everyone matters, and who persevered in bringing a heinous murderer to justice
• A history of the Victoria Police’s Public Order Response Team (PORT)
• The inspiring story of the 2025 Pacific Police Tattoo which was held in Papua New Guinea
• Honouring a former police officer who was badly injured in an on-duty crash, and
• Information about an unsolved missing person/homicide case in Tasmania.

To read the issue, go to www.apjl.com.au

AFP in the Pacific

13/11/2025

Our latest has been released.

Authorities are notified of a man having been ritualistically killed in a highlands village in remote New Guinea. Australian and New Guinean , and a doctor, set out on foot to investigate. The case then takes a bizarre turn when the murderer seeks a reward for his actions.

This episode is a case from the archives of the APJ – a 1972 article concentrating on the strange phenomenon known as ‘cargo cults’ and how they emerged in some Pacific Island communities who were keen to enrich themselves with western consumer goods.

It’s a compelling story which shows how – just one lifetime ago – Australia was a colonial power with an international mandate to govern other cultures who were facing the challenges of rapidly adjusting to modernity.

This episode includes a narration of an abridged version of the article. On occasion, the article’s author used the word ‘primitive’ in a way which was widely acceptable at the time it was written, but which is now culturally insensitive. Listener discretion is advised.

You can subscribe to the APJ by visiting the website www.apjl.com.au/podcast/ and clicking on the ‘subscribe’ button at the top of the page.

13/10/2025

In our latest , distinguished security analyst and historian Mark Galeotti talks about the evolution of organised crime and its interdependence with legitimate society.

Unique insights of a wicked problem.

The chat can be heard via podcast apps or at www.apjl.com.au

13/09/2025

Our latest is the final of the three-part series on the NSW Police Force investigating the 2015 murder of Leeton High School teacher Stephanie Scott. It examines the actions of the murderer's twin brother, who was an accessory after the fact to murder. The episode is available through podcast apps or at our website: www.apjl.com.au.

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