NCA NEWS A welcome from Trevor Pearce, Director of Investigations Welcome to July s edition of NCA News, our partnership newsletter. This month s edition is full of examples of operational successes achieved through partnership working which continues to be critical to our mission to lead the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime. Highlights in this month s edition include: The multi-agency initiative Operation Captura celebrates catching its 60th fugitive. An international network of heroin traffickers were stopped by an NCA-led surveillance operation supported by the Crown Prosecution Service s Organised Crime Division, West Midlands Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil and other international enforcement agencies. An overview of the priorities for the NCA s Economic Crime Command for the next two years. This month we also have an update on our fight to combat cyber crime and details about the launch of the Pensions Regulator s campaign on pension scams. We hope you find this edition of NCA News both informative and interesting. We welcome your feedback; please send your comments to ncanews@nca.x.gsi.gov.uk Trevor Pearce, Director of Investigations 1 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
UK-WIDE OPERATION SNARES 660 SUSPECTED PAEDOPHILES An unprecedented six-month operation coordinated by the NCA and involving 45 police forces across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland has led to the arrest of 660 suspected paedophiles. More than 400 children across the UK have been safeguarded. Some of those arrested had unsupervised access to children in the course of their work. They include doctors, teachers, scout leaders, care workers and former police officers. Of the 660, 39 people were Registered Sex Offenders but the majority of those arrested had not previously come to law enforcement s attention. The operation targeted people accessing indecent images of children online. It was a covert operation in order to protect children, identify offenders and secure evidence. The NCA and its partners are not revealing the methods they used to track down suspects so that they can use the same tactics again in the future. Charging decisions are awaited in most cases because of ongoing enquiries but so far charges brought range from possessing indecent images of children to serious sexual assault. NCA Deputy Director General Phil Gormley said: This is the first time the UK has had the capability to coordinate a single targeted operation of this nature. Over the past six months we have seen unprecedented levels of cooperation to deliver this result. Our aim was to protect children who were victims of, or might be at risk of, sexual exploitation. A child is victimised not only when they are abused and an image is taken. They are re-victimised every time that image is viewed by someone. Some of the people who start by accessing indecent images online go on to abuse children directly. So the operation is not only about catching people who have already offended it is about influencing potential offenders before they cross that line. We want those offenders to know that the internet is not a safe anonymous space for accessing indecent images, that they leave a digital footprint, and that law enforcement will find it. Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Policing Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations, said: Sexual abuse is a complex crime taking many forms. The vast majority of forces around England and Wales are dealing with an unprecedented increase in the number of reports of sexual abuse of children. Forces are investigating exploitation of children and young people by groups and gangs, non-recent abuse including large scale investigations into abuse in institutions over many years and sexual abuse by parents and family members. During this operation, we ve targeted offenders accessing child abuse images. Police must continue to use a range of investigative techniques targeting all forms of abuse if we going to protect children and bring offenders to justice. Chief officers are committed to using all the tools available to them because nothing is more important in policing than protecting vulnerable people. 2 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
OPERATION CAPTURA CATCHES 60 TH FUGITIVE Alleged drug trafficker captured in Spain A suspected drug trafficker who featured in the Operation Captura fugitive campaign has been arrested in Marbella. Christopher Mealey, aged 38 from London, was captured following a joint operation involving the Spanish National Police, the NCA and the Metropolitan Police. Armed officers swooped while he was walking along a popular Spanish beachfront tourist hotspot. Mealey was apprehended on a European Arrest Warrant, and appeared at the Spanish National Court in Madrid. Extradition proceedings are now underway. Mealey is wanted by the Metropolitan Police in connection with an investigation into the importation of millions of pounds worth of cocaine. His father-in-law John Reed and six others have already received jail terms totalling over 130 years. Inspector Olga Lizana, from the Spanish National Police Fugitives Unit, said: Cooperation between Spain and the UK on fugitive operations has never been better. This arrest once again demonstrates that sooner or later any British fugitives hiding out in Spain will be caught. Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC, Crimestoppers Founder and Chairman of Trustees, commented: This latest arrest brings the success rate of Operation Captura to almost 80 per cent, which is a figure I think everyone involved with the campaign can be proud of. Awareness of our fugitive projects continues to grow, which is making it increasingly more difficult for individuals to evade capture. Christopher Mealey is the 60th fugitive to be caught out of 76 publicised through Operation Captura the multi-agency initiative between Crimestoppers, the NCA and the Spanish authorities. Operation Captura - 60th fugitive caught 3 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATE TO COMBAT SHYLOCK MALWARE Update on the fight against cyber crime A NCA coordinated international operation involving law enforcement agencies and private sector companies is combating the threat from a type of malicious software (malware) used by criminals to steal from bank accounts. In the first project of its kind for a UK law enforcement agency, the NCA has brought together partners from the law enforcement and private sectors, including the FBI, Europol, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, GCHQ, Dell SecureWorks, Kaspersky Lab and the German Federal Police (BKA) to jointly tackle the Shylock trojan. The NCA and its partners are taking action to disrupt the system which Shylock depends on to operate effectively. This includes the seizure of servers which form the command and control system for the trojan, as well as taking control of the domains Shylock uses for communication between infected computers. This activity has been conducted from the operational centre at the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol in The Hague. Investigators from the NCA, FBI, the Netherlands, Turkey and Italy gathered to coordinate action in their respective countries, alongside counterparts in Germany, Poland and France. Fighting cyber crime Shylock - so called because its code contains excerpts from Shakespeare s Merchant of Venice - has infected at least 30,000 computers running Microsoft Windows worldwide. Victims are typically infected by clicking on malicious links, and then unwittingly downloading the malware. Shylock will then seek to access funds held in business or personal accounts, and transfer them to the criminal controllers. Troels Oerting, head of the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol, said: EC3 has provided a unique platform and operational rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technical infrastructure and secure communication means, as well as cyber analysts and cyber experts. In this way we have been able to support frontline cyber investigators, coordinated by the UK s NCA. 4 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF HEROIN TRAFFICKERS DISMANTLED Two men who travelled extensively across Europe to recruit and meet with couriers were stopped in their tracks following a multi-agency NCA-led surveillance operation; supported by the Crown Prosecution Service s Organised Crime Division, West Midlands Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil and other international law enforcement agencies. Tahir Mahmood from Stourbridge controlled multiple couriers in Spain who imported large quantities of heroin into the UK and other European countries on flights from Pakistan. Mahmood and his right-hand man Anwar Bashir organised importations using sophisticated concealments within suitcases, books and specially adapted clothing. Mahmood was sentenced to 16 years at Birmingham Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to five heroin trafficking offences in January. Bashir, who was found guilty of three offences following a six-week trial in May, received 15 years. Analysis of mobile phone data was vitally important in this operation as it pinpointed their locations at the time of the heroin seizures and showed the criminals were in contact with each other as well as the couriers. An additional 49 kilos of heroin have been seized as a result of the wider operation. Five couriers were prosecuted separately and received sentences ranging from five to 12 years. Andy Young, from the Organised Crime Division at the CPS, said: This was a complex case involving very close working between the NCA and the CPS Organised Crime Division, which resulted in the conviction of these two drug dealers for their part in the importation of a significant amount of heroin into the UK and mainland Europe. These sentences are proof that international borders are no obstacle when it comes to bringing offenders to justice and should serve as a warning that those who peddle illegal drugs will face the consequences of their actions. Traffickers stopped 5 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
TWO YEAR PLAN TO CUT ECONOMIC CRIME Update from Donald Toon, Director of Economic Crime Command Last month the Director of the NCA s Economic Crime Command (ECC), Donald Toon, promised to share the ECC s plans for the next two years. This piece details the agency s priorities in this area and how working with partners will play an important part in achieving operational success. Economic crime is a major and growing threat across a broad range of crime areas including: money laundering, bribery and corruption, sanctions breaches, major (often cyber-enabled) fraud against individuals, companies and the public sector, market manipulation and insider dealing and counterfeit currency. It also covers cross-cutting issues such as insider threats and professional enablers, where for example solicitors, accountants, estate agents and company formation agents may work in conjunction with serious criminals. Additional challenges in tackling economic crime include the fact that there has traditionally been a fragmented law enforcement response, a lack of understanding of the threat and mistrust and suspicion in relationships between law enforcement and the private sector. The NCA will reduce the impact of economic crime on the UK by establishing a coherent, strategic UK-wide response and by leading, supporting and coordinating economic crime fighting resources across the public and private sectors. We will also strengthen law enforcement and private sector relationships and develop a strong cadre of skilled and experienced professionals in, for example, financial investigation and forensic accountancy. In line with the NCA s mission, we will ensure that the agency is able to identify, and lead the response to cut serious and organised criminality across the economic crime landscape. Delivery of these priorities will mean a reduction in economic crime, greater international recognition of the UK as a safe place to do business, increased disruption of economic criminal and assets and a significant increase in the recovery of proceeds of crime. Key priorities: 1. Money laundering and asset recovery Lead multi-agency action; disrupt criminal access to professional skills; and maximise the impact of the NCA s own capabilities. 2. Enforcement response to corruption and sanctions Drive the strategic leadership and coordination of the law enforcement response to the corruption threat and the enforcement of sanctions. 3. Proactive investigation of serious, organised economic crime Deploy NCA capabilities against appropriate priority threats in support of partner agencies. 4. Changing the economic crime operating environment Work with law enforcement partners, regulators and the private sector to develop a strong, collaborative relationship to combat the economic crime threat including a transformed approach to data sharing. 6 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
EMERGENCY DATA RETENTION AND INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT NCA s role in the debate On 17 July the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill, introduced by the Government under emergency legislation, achieved Royal Assent. The Act is intended to create a clear basis in domestic law for new regulations governing the retention of communications data in the UK. It responds to the judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 8 April this year that struck down the EU Data Retention Directive. This could have resulted in the requirement in the UK for communication service providers to store communications data for 12 months also being overturned potentially leading to the deletion of records which are critical to law enforcement s ability to keep people safe. In effect the regulations within the legislation broadly mirror the existing Data Retention Regulations, with modifications to take account of the recommendations the ECJ made in its judgment about proportionality and necessity. This is intended to ensure a mandatory data retention regime can withstand legal challenges, both domestically and if necessary in European courts. The Act does not create any new powers. The Act also clarifies the definition of telecommunications service (making clear that this applies to all services, including those provided over the internet and offered from overseas). It also clarifies that lawful intercept and communications data provisions apply to companies providing a service to customers based in the UK, no matter where in the world the company is based. Communications data and lawful intercept, properly authorised and warranted, are fundamental to how the NCA and our law enforcement partners protect the public and cut serious and organised crime. In terms of figures, law enforcement depends on communications data in over 90% of all serious and organised crime investigations where the threshold for RIPA Part 1 Chapter 2 is met, and communications data has been used in every single major Security Service investigation over the last decade. Communications data is often the only way to secure convictions against the most dangerous criminals. It can provide law enforcement with time-critical intelligence which can stop a serious crime in action and save lives in cases of murder, kidnap and terrorism. It is particularly important in tackling online child sexual exploitation, enabling law enforcement to disrupt the spread of indecent images of children, identify and safeguard victims and potential victims. Interception provides law enforcement and security agencies with an unparalleled level of intelligence, which is vital in keeping the public safe. Giving a speech to the Police Foundation in late June, NCA Director General Keith Bristow said: Every day, children are targeted by criminals and paedophiles on the internet. If we do not ensure that our investigative techniques keep pace, we are complicit in allowing their protections to be stripped away. Map across the investigative techniques we deploy in the physical world to the virtual, and we arrive at communications data. It brings criminals to justice. And equally importantly it can prove an individual s innocence. Defence teams use this data to prove that someone was miles away from where a crime was committed. In some cases it can be the only evidence of that fact. We need communications data to help prevent miscarriages of justice which are devastating to the victims of crimes, as well as those wrongly accused of committing them. 7 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.
PENSION SCAMS In the spotlight This month the Pensions Regulator has worked with key government partners to launch the second awareness campaign to combat pension scams. Using compelling stories of victims who have fallen for early release pension scams, the campaign aims to increase awareness amongst among the public and industry on the dangers of pension liberation fraud and what people should do to protect themselves from it. This activity forms part of a wider crossgovernment initiative that is being coordinated by the NCA under Project BLOOM. The NCA has developed intelligence to support a detailed understanding of the methodology used and the organised criminality behind it, supported the development of prevention measures and victim reporting channels, conducted website suspensions and re-directions to Action Fraud where websites offer misleading information designed to convince visitors to access part of their pension fund immediately and supported law enforcement partners in their investigations. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND KEEP IN TOUCH We want to hear your feedback about the content in NCA News. If there is anything you would like to see more of then email ncanews@ nca.x.gsi.gov.uk and a member of the team will get in touch. To keep updated on the work of the NCA you can either follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook page or subscribe to our RSS feed available on our website. www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk Combating pension scams facebook /NCA @NCA_UK RSS 8 Issue 9, July 2014 NCA News leading the UK s fight to cut serious and organised crime.