Organised crime: Not in UK (1)
01 January 1991
Organised crime: Not in UK
artdoc August=1994
The Director of the National Criminal Intelligence Service
(NCIS), Mr Pacey, told the Home Affairs Select Committee the UK
does not `suffer directly from traditional organised crime
groups'. He was giving evidence to the Committee as part of its
investigation of organised crime on 6 July. Mr Pacey went on to
say that the NCIS could not `identify a British version of
organised crime' and they preferred to talk about `enterprise'
or `entrepreneurial' crime which was used to describe home-based
criminal groups. The Organised Crime Unit (OCU) of the NCIS has
13 members drawn from the police, Customs and Excise, the
Immigration Service and Special Branch.
Under questioning from members of the Committee he said that
informants were `critical to good intelligence' but was concerned
about them appearing as witnesses. In its written evidence the
NCIS says it is particularly concerned that prosecutions are
dropped rather than `compromise witnesses, sources, informants,
or covert operations... consequently we do support ex-parte
applications to the trial judge on matters of public interest
immunity'. Mr Pacey said the NCIS maintained a national register
of informants. In 1993 403 informants were paid £48,000 which
resulted in 301 arrests and the recovery of property worth £11
million.
The NCIS called for an extension in their powers so that they
could carry out surveillance work including covertly monitoring
conversations and tracking devices on suspected crime group
members. It argued that `ultimately consideration will have to
be given to the formation of a task force based on the anti-
racketeering format under the Northern Ireland Office' - the
Terrorist Financial Unit (TFU).
In an Appendix the various `threats' are listed including:
Italian Mafia, Triad Groups and Biker Groups. `The threat of
Jamaican criminals in the UK' contains the scintillating
`intelligence' assessment that:
`The sound systems are still a focal point for the Jamaican
criminal; the words of the reggae songs are like the Rap songs
and music which convey a message of anti-establishmentarianism.
They are also used as a cover to distribute drugs and launder
illegal monies'.
Memorandum of evidence from the National Criminal Intelligence
Service submitted to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry
into organised crime, presented on 6.7.94 and dated 30.11.93; see
also story on defining organised crime in the Europe section.
Statewatch, Vol 4 no 4, July-August 1994