9 February 2004
The new UK-wide Serious Organised Crime Agency announced today will bring together experts to tackle illegal enterprises like drug trafficking and people smuggling.
The government also announced that it will set out a strategy and new legislation to target organised criminals.
Home Secretary David Blunkett said modern organised criminals are sophisticated, organised and well-resourced.
"We need to respond to this changing criminal threat, harness the skills of non-traditional investigators like accountants and legal experts and combine these with our world-class detectives and intelligence officers."
The new Serious Organised Crime Agency will combine the responsibilities currently shared by:
- the National Criminal Intelligence Service;
- the National Crime Squad;
- Home Office work on organised immigration crime; and
- HM Customs and Excise intelligence and investigation work on drug trafficking and recovering criminal assets.
The economic and social costs of organised crime could be as high as £40bn each year, and Europol estimates that people traffickers are responsible for 70 per cent of illegal immigrants to the EU.
"Organised crime is not victimless, it affect all of us," said Mr Blunkett. "Organised criminals should be under no illusion, there is no hiding place from the law.
The Agency will work closely with police forces and the security services and detailed plans will be published next month.
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