An Australian Taxation Office staff member has been charged with "despicable" corruption-related offences after being accused of disclosing information to organised crime associates.
The 32-year-old Gold Coast man was also allegedly found to be in possession of child abuse material when police raided a home as part of a joint investigation.
He was charged on Thursday with two counts of unlawful disclosure of information by a Commonwealth officer and suspended from duty without pay.
"It is alleged the employee disclosed information obtained in their capacity as a public official to organised crime associates," Australian Federal Police said in a statement on Friday.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.
ATO deputy commissioner Nicholas Shizas on Friday said the office had a zero tolerance for corruption.
“The conduct alleged is despicable and has no place in the ATO," he said in a statement.
"It is a disservice to the over 20,000 dedicated and honest ATO employees, who carry out their duties with professionalism and integrity."
The ATO had highly sophisticated mechanisms in place to detect fraud and corruption, he said.
''Australians can be assured that the ATO remains unwavering in its commitment to identifying misconduct and ensuring there are serious consequences for those who betray the trust of the community."
The man was charged amid an ongoing joint investigation between the AFP, National Anti-Corruption Commission and the ATO's Operation Esk-Jerboa.
"In this investigation, the corrupt conduct we are alleging has occurred arises from the misuse of information the staff member has gained in their capacity as a public official," he acting commissioner of the anti-corruption watchdog, Kylie Kilgour, said in a statement.
Federal police's Hilda Sirec APM said the force had long been aware of organised crime groups trying to corrupt people to gain access to sensitive law enforcement information.
"So it's concerning when we identify alleged instances of this classified information being made available to them,’’ she said.
"We will work to ensure organised crime groups are not in a position to undermine the safety of our community by having channels to access information that helps them avoid law enforcement attention."
A search of a Surfer’s Paradise home on Thursday seized multiple electronic storage devices and mobile phones, with police allegedly identifying child abuse material on some.
The man was also charged with 15 counts of use of a carriage service for child abuse material, as well as two counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.
The maximum penalty for both offences is 15 years’ imprisonment.
The man is set to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on September 21.
