$321.4 million has been added to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) budget as an investment to strengthen the protection to all Australians. 

The millions of funding includes over 100 intelligence experts, 100 tactical response and covert surveillance operators and 100 forensic specialists to combat crime and terrorism. 

Gangs and local terrorists will be the major targets of the new Federal Budget. 

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the “largest single domestic policing funding boost in a decade” was necessary to boost security arrangements. 

“We are living in a very difficult national security environment and we’re also living in an environment where organised criminals, particularly those involved in the drug trade, continue to enhance the sophistication of their operation,” Mr Keenan said. 

“And we need the AFP to be a high-tech organisation, with the skills set available to it to meet these threats,” he added. 

The budget will introduce AFP with new capabilities and greater flexibility to respond to the changing crimes. 

Addition of the experts will ensure fast-track investigations, arrest criminals sooner and target areas of priority such as terrorism, criminal gangs, drugs, organised crime, cybercrime, fraud and anti-corruption. 

AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin also emphasised the changing crime in Australia, and the need of necessary resources to combat these crimes. 

“My front line officers, those in uniform, those investigators around the country and internationally, need to know that they have the most modern, capable police force behind them to help them in terms of the investigations and the critical work they do,” Mr Colvin said.