Received

Three men have been charged after police raids in which $4.7 million cash, five kilos of drugs and cryptocurrency teller machines were allegedly seized in NSW.

Two men - aged 34 and 39 - were arrested near a unit block in Mascot on Friday as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Police say a search of the pair found $120,000 in cash on the younger man and $51,500 in cash on the older man along with 13 envelopes containing illicit drugs believed to be cocaine, heroin and methylamphetamine.

A third man, aged 45, was arrested later on Friday as police raided two units in Mascot and a storage unit in Kingsgrove.

Police say their raids uncovered $4.7 million in cash, money counters, mobile phones, laptops, USB storage devices and three cryptocurrency automatic teller machines.

There was also about allegedly 5kg of prohibited drugs including heroin, methylamphetamine and cocaine believed to have been illegally imported into Australia

The three men were taken to Mascot Police Station, where the 34-year-old was charged with dealing with proceeds of crime and money laundering.

He was granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday.

The 39-year-old was charged with 12 offences including three counts of supplying prohibited drugs (commercial quantity), three counts of supplying prohibited drugs (indictable quantity), four counts of knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.

He was refused bail in the Central Local Court on Saturday and remanded to appear in the same court on 2 June..

The 45-year-old man was charged with knowingly dealing in the proceeds of crime and supplying prohibited drugs and granted conditional bail, to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 6.

© AAP 2022

Scott Morrison is poised to fire the starting gun on the federal election, casting himself as a safe pair of hands in uncertain times.

The prime minister is widely expected to ask Governor-General David Hurley on Sunday to dissolve the parliament and set either May 14 or May 21 as the date for an election.

Ahead of the visit to Government House in Canberra, Mr Morrison released a video in which he points to the natural disasters that have hit the country, the unstable global security environment and the risks facing Australia's economy.

"You always have setbacks. You always have imperfect information. I mean, things are tough," he says.

Mr Morrison claims 40,000 Australians are alive because of how his government handled the COVID-10 pandemic, with 700,000 still in jobs because of the response to the economic fallout.

"This is why as we go into this next election, what's firing me up - we're actually in a really strong position," Mr Morrison says.

He recalls a senior-year trade school he visited in Brisbane where half the class indicated they wanted to start their own business.

"How good's that? That's why I love Australia," Mr Morrison says.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese also released a video on Saturday spruiking his "fully costed plan for a better future".

He introduces himself to voters and talks about his economics degree from Sydney University and six years as infrastructure minister.

"Growing up with a single mum, I know the value of a dollar, and I know how hard it is to get ahead, " Mr Albanese says.

Homing in on a perceived weakness of the prime minister, following criticism of his handing of natural disasters, Mr Albanese says: "Australians deserve a prime minister who shows up, who takes responsibility."

Mr Albanese earlier told reporters Labor had a "mountain to climb" to win the election.

Labor has only won government from opposition three times since World War II.

Opinion polls are pointing to a Labor victory, but the coalition starts ahead with 76 seats out of the 151-seat lower house.

Labor starts the race with 68 seats, but notionally holds 69 if the new seat of Hawke in Victoria is considered a win.

The retirement of at least 17 MPs will make the contest even more challenging for both sides.

Forty seats in the upper house are in contention in a half-Senate election.

A victory for Mr Morrison would make him the first incumbent prime minister to win two elections in a row since John Howard in 2004.

© AAP 2022

COVID-19 boosters are not required for 12- to 15-year-olds yet, says Australia's vaccine advisory group.

The call follows a provisional go-ahead for a Pfizer booster for the age group by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Friday.

The medical regulator recommended the cohort receive a third shot six months after their first two regardless of which approved vaccine they had received as their primary course.

The TGA said its review of overseas data in deciding whether to push ahead with the booster had been rigorous and followed approvals issued in Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.

However the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which is charged with granting final approval, has declined to follow suit.

"ATAGI has reviewed evidence on the benefits and risks of a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents in Australia aged 12-15 years," it said in a statement on its website.

"Current data suggests COVID-related serious illness is very rare in adolescents aged 12-15, particularly after completion of a primary series of COVID-19 vaccination."

ATAGI said at this time, it does not recommend 12- to 15- year-olds receive the booster and it will meanwhile continue to review international evidence on efficacy.

"ATAGI continues to strongly recommend vaccination of all young people aged 5 to 15 years with two primary doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, including those who may have previously had COVID-19; Three primary doses are recommended for those in this age group who are severely immunocompromised," it said.

"ATAGI will continue to review and consider new evidence on the benefits and risks of any additional doses in 12-15 year olds, including for those with underlying medical conditions."

Only Australians aged 16 and over continue to have access to a third jab.

As of Saturday, almost 70 per cent of the eligible population, or more than 13.1 million people in total, had received their booster.

On Monday, the rollout began for a fourth dose - or second booster - for the elderly and vulnerable ahead of winter.

Meanwhile another regulatory body, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, has recommended the PBS listing of COVID-19 drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.

The former is an oral treatment that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 protein to stop the virus replicating and is used to treat people at high risk of progressing to severe or critical stage.

Ritonavir slows nirmatrelvir's breakdown to help it remain in the body longer and at higher concentrations.

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA:

NSW: 17,597 cases, 10 deaths, 1437 in hospital, 47 in ICU

Victoria: 9610 cases, seven deaths, 366 in hospital, 15 in ICU

Queensland: 8687 cases, two deaths, 480 in hospital, 16 in ICU

Western Australia: 6566 cases, three deaths, 236 in hospital, eight in ICU

South Australia: 4777 cases, one death, 201 in hospital, 13 in ICU

Tasmania: 1803 cases, no deaths, 38 in hospital, one in ICU

ACT: 959 cases, one death, 62 in hospital, three in ICU

Northern Territory: 471 cases, no deaths, 24 in hospital, no one in ICU

© AAP 2022