Former MI5 head to lead organised crime fight
Sir Stephen Lander, the former head of MI5, has been named as the chairman of the new Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
The SOCA is being formed by merging the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Agency, and specialist investigative units from Customs and Excise and immigration.
The Government believes that the organisation- dubbed by some the UK FBI- will bring together expertise from across the professions and do far more to combat organised crime than is possible under the current structure.
Sir Stephen will be responsible for the organisation’s overall strategy and vision, while Bill Hughes, currently head of the National Crime Squad, will become its director general. Mr Hughes will be in charge of operations and day-to-day management.
Both are set to take up their posts in September 2004. However, the legislation required to set up the new agency has yet to be passed, and if it fails the posts would cease.
The Government though anticipates the legislation being presented in the next Parliamentary session and the SOCA becoming operational on April 1st 2006.
Sir Stephen said today that he saw the new organisation’s role as building on “the considerable strengths of the existing national agencies” and said it would “provide the country with a single body focused on reducing the harm caused by organised crime.”
He added it would be “uniquely placed and capable of disrupting and disabling the organised criminals that are damaging this country.”
Announcing the appointments, Home Secretary David Blunkett said: “As criminals become more sophisticated, so we must raise our game to fight it. We must make better use of technology to stay ahead. The creation of a single agency to tackle organised crime marks a step change in our efforts to reduce the harm it does to the UK and its citizens.
“Sir Stephen and Bill Hughes between them link the important work of tackling organised crime at the local and regional levels with international intelligence and global challenges in a unique partnership.”
“Organised crime is big business. It causes untold harm on our streets, damage to our communities and nets billions of pounds each year for those responsible. It blights vulnerable communities, ruining lives and instilling fear.
“I am confident that under Sir Stephen and Mr Hughes’ leadership and command, SOCA will significantly enhance our ability to combat organised crime through intelligence-led strategies, full use of technology and the most vigorous use of every professional and legal resource at our disposal.”
