The Russian mafia is the force behind a powerful international pro-asbestos lobby, a Senate inquiry in Brisbane has heard.

A Senate committee is investigating sub-standard and potentially lethal building products such as asbestos and how they are making their way into Australia.

Asbestos was found in several new buildings last year, including in metal skirting on the construction site of the Queensland Government's new executive building.

Last July, fragments of asbestos were also found in roof panels at the new Perth Children's Hospital.

Brad Parker from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) told the inquiry the lobby was one of the big challenges for the Oceania region.

"It's commonly known within the anti-asbestos movement internationally that the pro-asbestos lobby is the Russian mafia," he said.

"They work in a way where they intimidate, they're engaged in corrupt activity.

"There's been rumours circulating, certainly, of money crossing hands with international politicians."

'Allegations should be referred to AFP'

Committee member senator Nick Xenophon questioned the claim and asked for more detail.

"Do you have any personal experiences with this? This is quite an allegation you're making," Senator Xenophon said.

He said the allegations were very serious and he would be pushing for bipartisan consensus for a new testing regime targeting high-risk countries.

"The fact that there are people in this world who are actually actively campaigning for asbestos to continue to be used in products that continue to be sold beggars belief," Senator Xenophon said.

"To say that organised criminal elements could be involved in the marketing of asbestos around the world and they have actively lobbied against any further controls, is deeply concerning.

"These are matters that ought to be referred to the Australian Federal Police. They are matters that ought to be referred to the highest levels of government."

Asbestos was found on the Queensland Government executive building site last July. ( ABC News: Chris O'Brien )

The inquiry also heard from Kevin Will, managing director of Yuanda Australia, the company found to have imported building materials containing asbestos found at the Queensland executive building and at the Perth Children's Hospital.

Inquiry chair senator Chris Ketter said he had concerns about compliance.

"It's of some concern to me that the testing processes in place seem to have been unclear to the company involved," he said.

"I'm going to be very interested to hear from Border Force in respect of their role in relation to this particular matter."

Mr Parker said he saw the Russian mafia in action while attending an anti-asbestos conference in Vienna in 2014.

"They did come up and elbow me in the back and try and intimidate me," he said.

"It is very serious that this is how they operate and Australia needs to be made aware that these are the people we're dealing with and we need to confront them and we do do great work on the ground," he said.

Mr Parker said the mafia also set up pro-asbestos trade stalls.

The CFMEU has called for stronger border enforcement for non-compliant building materials, harsher penalties and wants the Federal Government to support international work aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos and improving international controls.

The senate inquiry report is due to be handed down in April.