Police have raided the CFMEU’s Queensland headquarters in Brisbane as part of a widening investigation into alleged corruption linked to construction work for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Officers executed warrants at the union’s offices in Bowen Hills on Wednesday morning, while three people were arrested in Victoria in a related investigation into alleged corrupting benefits offences.
Victoria Police confirmed that detectives from Taskforce Hawk carried out several raids in the state. The operation is examining allegations including secret commissions, fraud and drug trafficking connected to the construction industry.
A CFMEU spokesperson said the union had been made aware of the police investigation and would “cooperate fully”. No details have been released about what investigators seized in Brisbane or whether any Queensland arrests were made.
CFMEU investigation continues as Olympic preparations gather pace
The raid comes as a Queensland Commission of Inquiry examines alleged misconduct, financial irregularities and possible criminal links involving the union and the construction sector.
The inquiry has been considering the potential risks surrounding the major infrastructure programme expected ahead of Brisbane’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with evidence focusing on alleged corruption and the use of union influence on construction sites.
Queensland’s inquiry is due to resume public hearings next month. The state government has extended its deadline until December 2027, citing the volume of evidence and the need for further witnesses and cross-examination.
The inquiry has already heard allegations of bullying, intimidation and violence on Queensland worksites. Those claims remain unproven, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made against individuals who have not been charged.
The latest police action follows a series of arrests and searches in Victoria as investigators examine alleged criminal conduct associated with the CFMEU and the wider construction industry.
