This year, the Investigation of the Year was awarded to Queensland Police for Operation COPRA. This operation consisted of an investigation into the fraudulent issue of more than 6,000 vehicle safety certificates. In July 2003, Queensland Transport notified Queensland Police that an approved inspection station had obtained a number of safety certificate books in a suspect manner. Checks on the station as listed indicated that it was not at the nominated address.

Serious safety concerns resulted in the recall of all 6,000 vehicles issued with certificates from this station. Queensland Police estimate that the total profit obtained by two key targets was in the order of AUS $120,000.

To date, 180 individuals have been charged with a total of 1,642 offences, and some 700 of the vehicles recalled were considered unroadworthy.