Five Eyes must ramp up fight against rising organised crime, AFP commissioner warns

Reece Kershaw issued a rallying call for closer coordination on law enforcement as he addressed colleagues from the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, who have been visiting Australia for talks since Monday.

The Five Eyes is a longstanding intelligence-sharing arrangement that gained momentum during the cold war, but it has also spawned other groupings including one focused on law enforcement.

US agencies represented at the meetings in Australia this week include the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He said the traditional definition of a national security threat was being rewritten because of the very nature and impact of organised crime.

The AFP commissioner argued illicit drug production and trafficking could affect regional security, food security and the stability of governments.

While Kershaw did not name any country or region in his speech, a UN agency has previously described Asia as the biggest source and market for precursor chemicals used to make illicit drugs.