When Australians think of Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), they often picture its frontline work in anti-doping, safeguarding children, and protecting athletes from abuse. But these efforts are increasingly supported by a powerful network of law enforcement partnerships.
Through the Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP), launched in 2024, SIA works with national and international agencies to share intelligence, coordinate investigations, and take proactive action against threats like organised doping, child exploitation, match-fixing, and trafficking – helping to protect athletes and preserve fair competition.
“We’re seeing sport used as a vehicle for serious criminal activity – whether it’s grooming, trafficking or organised doping,” said Beck Wylie, Manager of SIA’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program and a former police officer.
Our role is to ensure that law enforcement agencies know they can share information with us, and that we’ll act on it to protect athletes and the integrity of sport.
– Beck Wylie - Manager, Sport Integrity Law Enforcement Partnership Program
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“We want to be part of the solution,” Beck said.
SIA is recognised as an Enforcement Body under the Privacy Act 1988, enabling it to receive and share sensitive information with law enforcement. Through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with state and territory police, SIA is building a national framework for intelligence sharing that supports early intervention and coordinated investigations.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Poulton from Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit said the partnership has already delivered tangible benefits.
“Without a doubt, it’s been very beneficial for both Vic Pol and SIA, but more importantly I think it’s been enormously beneficial to participants in sport who need our help,” he said.
Great inroads have been made in terms of safeguarding through the establishment of reporting mechanisms that allow concerned members of our sports communities to report matters that are troubling them via SIA.
– Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Poulton, Victoria Police
“The Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit within Vic Pol acts as a conduit, allowing SIA to provide timely intelligence to Vic Pol. They can now do this with a level of confidence that it will be appropriately disseminated within Vic Pol, and the matter will be actioned.”
The collaboration has helped address issues across a wide range of sports – from combat sports and ice skating to lawn bowls and volleyball. It’s also led to early intervention in cases involving inappropriate relationships, social media misuse, and parental abuse, as well as more serious investigations by sexual offences and child abuse teams.
“There has been a host of positive outcomes, but some of the early intervention work to address inappropriate relationships between coaches and athletes, inappropriate use of social media, parental abuse and the like are really important,” Detective Senior Sergeant Poulton said.
“We have also had more serious matters requiring investigation by our Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams.”
With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, the importance of these partnerships is only growing. SIA is already working with National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) across the Pacific region to build capability and prepare for the influx of international athletes and spectators.
“The establishment of these relationships, well before the Games, will be vitally important,” Poulton said.
“SIA has ensured the region is focused on preparation, and we’re ready to meet the challenges ahead.”
While SIA’s work with law enforcement is critical, Beck Wylie’s work extends further than collaboration with agencies such as the police and border force. She also works directly with sporting organisations to provide advice, support and guidance on integrity matters.
Badminton Australia CEO, TJ Weistra, has worked closely with Beck through SIA’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program on several complex child safeguarding matters.
“Beck’s expertise and commitment have been instrumental in bridging the gap between sport and law enforcement, ensuring that our concerns are heard and acted upon,” TJ said.
“Her support has strengthened our safeguarding frameworks and provided a level of confidence in the systems that protect our athletes and broader sporting community."
Likewise, Elke Bellgrove, former National Integrity Manager at Bowls Australia, said Beck’s expertise has made navigating sensitive integrity issues with police more transparent, consistent, and ultimately more effective.
"Beck’s support has made engagement with law enforcement more straightforward and consistent," Elke said.
"She understands how police systems operate and can translate that into practical advice for sports. That helps us know what information can be shared, what can’t, and how to approach those conversations appropriately.
"Having that clarity makes a real difference, it reduces uncertainty and helps ensure everyone is working from the same understanding. It’s a reassuring process, especially when dealing with complex or unfamiliar integrity issues."
Beck’s background in policing and her former experience with the AFL Integrity Unit are bringing valuable insights and fostering stronger collaboration at SIA, helping to further strengthen sport integrity across the country.
“Sport plays such a massive role in our society – and sadly, it’s sometimes where society’s darker elements can surface – our job is to make sure those threats are identified and addressed before they cause harm,” Beck said.
“Having a dedicated law enforcement liaison within SIA ensures that critical intelligence doesn’t fall through the cracks.
“The more connected we are with law enforcement, the more effective we can be in protecting sport and the people within it.”
Case Study: Work directly with sporting organisations
In late 2024, a sport reached out to the LEPP for advice around concerns raised in relation to a coach and behaviour towards junior athletes. Further to the initial report, concerns were also raised around cultural sensitivities particular to this group. These sensitivities made any initial investigation by police into the matter difficult in the first instance.
Continued communication between the LEPP and the relevant sporting authority furnished further information that initiated a second line of enquiry by law enforcement. This second set of circumstances and the further police investigation resulted in the coach being charged.
A consequence of this initial investigation is that a further two complainants have now come forward, and additional charges have been laid.
Law enforcement, the relevant sporting authority and the LEPP worked together to ensure the correct messaging was being passed back to the sporting members, while being mindful of not impeding the police investigation or court process.
The sport was able to take provisional action and remove the coach from the sport across the entire country.
Case Study: Operation UMBRAL2025
In a major multi-agency operation led by the Australian Border Force (ABF), SIA played a key intelligence role in disrupting a national black market in steroids and synthetic drugs.
Over six months, authorities arrested 17 people and seized more than $1.5 million worth of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs), along with $500,000 in suspected criminal assets. The operation targeted Queensland-based syndicates using international mail systems to import illicit substances.1
SIA’s involvement helped identify key individuals linked to sport, enabling law enforcement to connect the dots between drug trafficking and athlete networks.
This kind of intelligence sharing is vital in dismantling doping supply chains and protecting athletes from exploitation.
Case Study: Match-Fixing on the Gold Coast
In August 2025, two men were extradited from New South Wales to Queensland after allegedly attempting to bribe a Gold Coast soccer player to fix matches. Acting as ‘player agents’ for an offshore investment group, the men approached the athlete with offers of payment in exchange for manipulating game outcomes.2
The case was referred to authorities by Football Australia and investigated in collaboration with SIA, NSW Police, and Queensland Police. While no games were compromised, the arrests marked only the second time match-fixing charges had been laid since legislation was introduced in 2014 – a stark reminder of the importance of proactive intelligence sharing.
“Match-fixing is serious criminal behaviour that undermines community confidence in the fairness of sport,” Detective Chief Inspector Melissa Anderson told ABC News.
“We are committed to working with partner agencies, including the New South Wales Police and Sport Integrity Australia, to ensure a safe and fair sporting environment in Queensland.”
This story was first published in Sport Integrity Matters magazine, Issue 22.