Mr Pezzullo was charged earlier this year after an 18-month investigation over allegations he sold prescription drug Kamagra to fellow Sydney Airport Customs officers and lied to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity unit,which was investigating several of his colleagues for drug importation and bribery offences.
Fairfax Media can also reveal:
■ Fabio Pezzullo attended a customs function in June last year where he mixed with serving officers,despite having been suspended for alleged corruption;
■ Other corrupt former customs staff have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against fellow officers in a key development in the Sydney Airport inquiry since arrests were first made in 2012;
■ The Australian Crime Commission and Customs are ramping up a new taskforce in response to intelligence revealing Customs continues to face corruption problems,including staff with links to serious organised crime identities.
Fairfax Media can also reveal that recent reforms of Customs'internal affairs division,including the removal of experienced criminal investigators,has sparked accusations from insiders the agency is leaving itself vulnerable to further integrity problems. Some staff are also angry that managers at Sydney Airport,under whose watch corruption flourished,remain in their positions.
But senior government sources have backed Mr Michael Pezzullo's efforts to tackle integrity concerns inside Customs,including pushing the work of Taskforce Pharos and the increased targeting of staff with drug and background checks.