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Policing - in brief (12)

01 May 1997

Netherlands: 100 arrests follow international police operation: A combined operation involving police from three countries against drug traffickers and drug "tourists" (people who travel to the Netherlands in order to buy drugs), codenamed "St Martin", has led to over 100 arrests. The operation on 14-15 June led to over 9 kilos of soft and three kilos of hard drugs being confiscated and involved 2,300 officers. 8,700 vehicles and 17,000 people were stopped in the operation. Apart from drugs the operation also led to 57 people being held either on arrest warrants or for being in the EU without valid documents. NRC Handelsblad Weekeditie, 17.6.97.

UK: Quicks Acts: four Bills passed: Just before parliament was dissolved on 21 March in the run-up to the General Election four Bills - the Police Act, Crime (sentences) Act, the Sex Offenders Act, and Protection from Harassment Act - became law. The controversial Police Act which gives police powers to "bug and burgle" was in Committee when the General Election was announced (see Statewatch, vol 6 no 6).

UK: NCIS seeks "global role": launching the annual report of the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) Mr Albert Pacey, its director-general, called for a "network" of UK police officers posted around the world. At present there are eight liaison officers in Europe and only two outside Europe compared to 42 deployed abroad by Germany and 28 by France. Liaison officers are based in UK embassies. The FBI, which is seeking a global role, now has 70 officers overseas and plans to have 129 in three years time. Times, 13.6.97; see also Statewatch vol 6 no 5).