The NSW Government will introduce new laws targeting every stage of organised crime operations, from those who plan and facilitate serious crimes to those who carry them out.
Organised crime networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using encrypted technology, online platforms and layers of associates to organise serious violence and evade law enforcement.
Legislation is being developed to give NSW Police stronger tools to disrupt organised crime networks, including new interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders and new offences targeting the use of online platforms to arrange serious criminal activity.
The Government will also introduce new aggravated offences relating to conspiracy and attempted gang-related murder, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders
The Government will introduce interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs), allowing restrictions to be imposed on individuals suspected of involvement in serious and organised crime while a full order is considered by the Supreme Court.
Existing SCPOs are used to restrict the activities of individuals involved in serious crime and disrupt conflict between organised crime networks.
The proposed interim orders would allow restrictions to be put in place sooner, enabling the urgent imposition of conditions intended to prevent, restrict or disrupt an individual’s involvement in serious crime-related activities.
Restrictions imposed by the court could include limiting:
- who a person can associate with;
- where they can go; and
- access to devices, the internet and technology platforms.
Interim orders are already available for convicted high-risk offenders and terrorists. The proposed reforms would draw on this approach and extend interim orders to people suspected of involvement in organised crime.
Cracking Down on Online Contract Crime
New offences will target people who administer or encourage the use of digital platforms to arrange or facilitate serious organised criminal activity.
The reforms will be modelled on existing offences under the Crimes Act 1900 dealing with digital platforms used for child abuse material.
The laws will also make it an offence to encourage another person to use a digital platform to arrange or facilitate these crimes, or to provide information designed to help offenders evade detection.
Life Imprisonment for Conspiring to Commit Gang-Related Murder
The Government will introduce new aggravated offences for conspiracy and attempted murder, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The proposed offences are intended to capture people involved in planning a murder even where they are not the person who ultimately carries out the killing.
They will cover people who attempt, conspire or agree to murder, as well as those who solicit, encourage, persuade or endeavour to persuade another person to commit murder – even where the murder does not ultimately occur.
Stronger Consequences for Young People Committing Serious Offences
The Government will expand the Serious Children’s Indictable Offence (SCIO) scheme to cover additional conduct linked to organised crime.
SCIOs are dealt with in higher courts such as the District or Supreme Court, where young offenders can face adult sentencing provisions.
Four additional offences relating to public shootings and firebombings will be added to the SCIO scheme, which already covers offences carrying maximum penalties of 25 years or life imprisonment.
Expanded Technology to Access Encrypted Devices
The Government will invest $15 million to expand NSW Police technology capabilities to access, download and analyse encrypted devices and digital platforms linked to organised crime investigations.
Criminal networks increasingly rely on encrypted devices and digital communications to organise operations and attempt to evade law enforcement.
The investment will see these capabilities rolled out more broadly across NSW, giving investigators faster access to digital evidence linked to serious and organised crime investigations.
Building on a Major Crackdown on Organised Crime
The proposed reforms build on existing laws, police operations and resources aimed at disrupting organised crime and removing dangerous weapons from the community.
Taskforce Falcon, which brings together 150 police targeting organised criminal networks, had as of 2 September 2026:
- made 784 arrests;
- laid 2,037 charges;
- seized 181 weapons; and
- seized 66 firearms.
Since 2022, Strike Force Raptor has:
- made more than 5,400 arrests;
- laid almost 13,000 charges; and
- issued 3,865 firearms prohibition orders targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime.
Over the past year, the NSW Government has also strengthened organised crime laws, including tougher penalties for public place shootings and the use of so-called “kill cars”, stronger bail laws and expanded powers targeting unexplained wealth, criminal assets and unlawful surveillance.
Separate legislation currently before Parliament would strengthen police access to digital evidence in organised crime matters and unredacted toll camera images, increase penalties for refusing to cooperate with the NSW Crime Commission and enable NSW to participate in Commonwealth face-matching services.
The 2026–27 NSW Budget is also investing $108.8 million in major technology upgrades for NSW Police, including digital evidence management systems, forensics, intelligence and data analytics platforms, police vehicle terminals and mobile devices.
The NSW firearms buyback scheme is scheduled to commence on 2 November 2026 as part of the National Gun Buyback Scheme.
Between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2026, 778 firearms were reported stolen to NSW Police. NSW Police State Crime Command also seized 326 firearms between January and August 2026 as part of operations targeting serious and organised criminal networks.
NSW will be the first state to commence the national scheme, with Phase 1 beginning on 2 November and initially providing compensation for eligible firearms affected by new ownership limits and classification changes.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
“Organised crime doesn’t stand still, and neither can the laws and powers we give police to fight it.
“We want to hit these criminal networks at every point – the people who organise the violence, the people who facilitate it online and the people who ultimately carry it out.
“If you conspire to arrange a gangland murder, you should face the prospect of spending the rest of your life behind bars.”
Acting Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Paul Scully said:
“As organised criminals change their tactics, the government will continue to strengthen the laws that help police stop them in their tracks.
“These extraordinary new powers will support NSW Police in continuing to disrupt criminal networks, get the people pulling the strings and put them all behind bars.”
Attorney General Michael Daley said:
“These new laws will help police disrupt these organised criminal networks faster and more efficiently to prevent serious offending.
“We know organised criminals use complex intermediaries to try and conceal their involvement in contract killings, which is why we’re targeting the organisation and facilitation of these offences online.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said:
“The NSW Police Force is relentless in its pursuit of organised crime and keeping the community safe.
“The significant investment in digital forensic capabilities will give police the ability to crack encrypted devices and uncover evidence organised criminals rely on to hide their activities.”
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