Greek mythology has inspired Australian authorities' latest bid to become organised crime's biggest nightmare.
Bikie groups, cartels and triads will be targeted by Australia's criminal intelligence organisation, along with federal and NSW police, under Operation Phobetor named after the Greek god of nightmares.
"(It's) hitting them where it's going to hurt them ... taking their assets," Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews told reporters from Australian Federal Police headquarters in Canberra on Monday.
The latest operation aims to build off another, dubbed Ironside, that led to the arrest of more than 300 people and the seizure of tens of millions of dollars.
"We'll see two world class law enforcement agencies combine their resources to provide nightmares to the criminal element of this nation," NSW Police Minister David Elliott said.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw pledged to be "relentless" in hunting down criminal networks including those based in hostile countries.
"We'll be going after the logistical arms, their financial arms and their operation arms all at once and it's not been done before at the scale we're going to embark on," he said.
"Whether you're Australian or not, and you're targeting, peddling misery into our communities whether it be methamphetamine, heroin or cocaine, we're going to be coming after you."
The task force involves about 20 officers from federal and NSW branches as well as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
They will target "dangerous criminals living the high life from bankrolling corruption, illicit drug trafficking and money laundering".
The task force will use beefed up powers including allowing access to suspected criminals' computers to crack encrypted communications and track the movements of ill-gotten money.
It also aims to sniff out criminal groups previously flying under the radar of authorities, as well as blackmail attempts targeted at the private and public sectors.
