The quotes were attributed to Don Smith, Border Force regional commander for Victoria and Tasmania. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Australian Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg. Credit:Andrew Meares The statement was widely interpreted to mean the Border Force would be stopping people for random immigration checks. The agency later clarified it would check the visas of people "referred to us" by police and other agencies involved in the operation. The operation was ridiculed on social media and protesters took to Melbourne's streets. Victoria Police released a statement just before 3pm saying the operation had been cancelled. Mr Quaedvlieg said the press release was "cleared at a low level in the organisation" and Mr Smith had signed off on it.

He said the controversy was unfortunate but "not a fatal embarrassment". Operation Fortitude protest, during which an alliance of people successfully rebelled. Credit:Joe Armao Fairfax Media reported this month that the National Security Committee of the federal cabinet had asked for a list of national security-related "announceables" to be rolled out weekly between now and the election. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has denied this Victorian Police Minister Wade Noonan said the operation was supposed to be a standard police one aimed at keeping the public safe, but was cancelled after the "unfortunate and inappropriate characterisation by the Australian Border Force". Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie lashed out at the prospect of the random visa checks, comparing the Abbott government to a series of police states.

"Joseph Stalin would be proud of Tony Abbott," he said. "Just as East Germany's Stasi would be delighted with the Australian Border Force – why, even General Pinochet would be impressed." The ABF began in July and reflects the federal government's hardline national security stance. It combined Customs and Immigration functions. There has been concern that ABF officers have more powers than former department officials, including the power to detain offenders, carry guns and gather intelligence. Mr Quaedvlieg said Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, a former policeman, was not involved in issuing the press release. Fairfax Media understands Victorian Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton cancelled the measure, dubbed Operation Fortitude, after learning of the "specifics" of the ABF's involvement and the public outrage.

A spokesman for Mr Dutton said "ministers don't direct operational matters". He did not respond to questions over whether he knew about the operation in advance. Labor immigration spokesman Richard Marles said Mr Dutton should "come out of hiding" to explain "the shambles that has seen a cross-agency operation compromised and a key government agency left red-faced". "This has been incredibly badly handled and Peter Dutton needs to immediately come clean on how this announcement was so botched," Mr Marles said. The Australian Border Force did not respond to questions posed by Fairfax Media, including how much was spent on the operation, slated for Friday and Saturday night. It did not say if the Border Force planned to conduct similar operations in future, in Melbourne, Sydney or elsewhere.

NSW Police Minister Troy Grant was asked if Sydney could expect to host such joint operations in future. He said the Border Force "already engages in NSW … so it's just Victoria catching up". After the operation was cancelled, Mr Grant's office clarified that he was referring only to joint raids of premises such as brothels that have been carried out by NSW police and immigration officials for many years. With Tammy Mills and Sean Nicholls Follow us on Twitter