The AFP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have long worked in tandem, with a set of seemingly typical Christmas ornaments signifying the decades of collaboration between the agencies to protect communities and prevent crimes in Australia and overseas.
A rare set of FBI Christmas ornaments, housed at the AFP Museum, are a festive reminder of the decades-long collaboration between the AFP and FBI.
The AFP's co-operation with the US investigative agency stretches back nearly 90 years, beginning in 1936 when the FBI first engaged with the Commonwealth Investigation Branch.
The partnership strengthened in the Commonwealth Police era (1960-79), most notably during the multi-national 'Corset Gang' investigation that uncovered a heroin syndicate smuggling the illicit substance into Australia and the United States. In 1967, the joint Australian-American operation arrested fifteen people in Sydney, New York, Miami and Honolulu for their roles in the syndicate.
When the AFP was formed in 1979, co-operation between the two nations was formalised with a permanent liaison post in Washington DC. This created a platform for current joint work in counter-terrorism, cybercrime, organised crime and child-exploitation investigations.
Modern day successes include post-9/11 intelligence sharing, the global Operation Ironside encrypted-device sting, and joint child-protection efforts such as Operations Bakis and Artemis.
As a mark of respect and gratitude between the agencies, Detective Superintendent Romi Gyergyak (Retired) was gifted three FBI holiday ornaments during his time as AFP Liaison Officer in Washington DC from 1993 to 1996. The ornaments were later donated to the museum by Det-Supt Gyergyak.
While difficult to value, the ornaments are 'priceless' in the eyes of AFP Museum Curator Sebastian Spencer because of what they represent.
"The three ornaments are cherished and invaluable to the AFP, and they provide a lovely reminder of the incredible work, significant operations, and historic moments between the agencies," Mr Spencer said.
"The 'G-Man' ornament is finished with 24-carat gold and depicts a G-Man - short for "government man" - which is a slang term used for FBI agents.
"The other ornaments depict the FBI Seal, and the first badge used by the FBI in 1935."
