Border control falls short on asbestos

An independent review into asbestos border control management has called for the immigration department to lift its game on prosecutions and gathering evidence.

There are six active criminal investigations running into potential asbestos importation offences and only three companies have been prosecuted since 2008.

"To assist with investigations and prosecutions, further appropriate information should be collected and managed at earlier stages of intervention," the KGH Border Services report says.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said 2.4 million containers come across Australian borders each year.

"We can't inspect every container," he told 2GB Radio.