Police have arrested a further five people, including two Customs officers, as part of a two-year investigation into corruption at Sydney Airport.

Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus says dozens of officers executed 15 search warrants across the city earlier today, bringing the total number of arrests to 17 since the investigation began.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 57 seconds 3 m 57 s More arrests in Customs corruption investigation Download 1.8 MB

"It'll be alleged that these Customs officers held trusted positions within the airport environment that allowed the syndicate to facilitate corrupt and criminal behaviour with relative impunity for some time," he told reporters in Canberra.

He says two of the other men who were arrested today are considered to be associates of the Customs officers, with one being a former baggage handler.

The fifth man is the brother of one of the Customs officers, and will be charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Another man was this afternoon being held in custody, and is helping police with their enquiries.

Commissioner Negus says the group has been charged over the alleged importation of drugs on four separate occasions during March and June last year.

"It'll be alleged that the Customs officers conspired with of the men arrested today, and with others who have already been arrested, to import the pseudoephedrine by having a baggage handler remove the suitcases containing the drugs from the rear of the plane."

On one occasion, police seized 40 kilograms of pseudoephedrine that had been imported from Vietnam, with a street value of up to $9.5 million.

"This is another significant step forward in the investigation, but it's not the end of the matter," Commissioner Negus added.

"The corruption investigation will continue, and I'm confident further arrests will be made into the future."

Commissioner Negus says one of the Customs officers arrested today was a supervisor at the airport.

'Resolute and urgent action'

Acting Customs chief executive Michael Pezzullo had earlier flagged the likelihood of further arrests while appearing before a Senate hearing in Canberra.

"This [Senate] committee can be assured that the service is committed to securing our borders and taking strong, resolute and urgent action to deal with those amongst us who have not upheld the required standards," Mr Pezzullo told senators.

He says Customs has been alert to the risks of criminal infiltration for a number of years and has taken steps to guard against it.

The agency was recently granted extra powers to weed out corruption, including mandatory drug and alcohol testing, and new powers for the CEO to sack staff because of serious misconduct.

"I am fully committed in my role as acting CEO to use these powers to their fullest extent to harden our service against the threat of criminal infiltration and corruption," Mr Pezzullo said.

He has also flagged a crack down on unauthorised absenteeism, the negligent performance of duties, and poor appearance and presentation, describing them as the "breeding ground for potential serious misconduct and corruption".

Commissioner Negus says today's arrests should send a strong message to others in positions of trust: "You will not avoid detection for long.

"We are serious about this. These people will face significant sentences in court if they are found guilty."

Systemic corruption

Late last year, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare announced a "root and branch" review of Customs following a number of earlier arrests.

Speaking in Parliament after today's arrests, Mr Clare said an independent review board met for the first time this month and has already provided him with some useful ideas.

"Major structural and cultural reform of Customs and Border Protection is required. This includes its law enforcement capability, its integrity culture, and business systems."

Opposition justice spokesman Michael Keenan said the allegations of systemic corruption within Customs should shock all Australians.

"The fact we could have organised crime infiltrate this agency to such an extent where we have serving officers who have been arrested today... should give all Australians pause for thought," he told Parliament.

"The threshold question we must ask ourselves today, is how has this been allowed to occur?

"(Labor) have systemically attacked Customs and Border Protection since the Government changed in 2007.

"There's no doubt in my mind... that the cuts that have been made to Customs and Border Protection have contributed to the sorts of things that we're hearing from the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and from the acting CEO of Customs today."

In December, Mr Clare conceded that about 750 staff had been cut from the service since Labor came to office in 2007, but said some of those positions had been made redundant through automation.