National Crime Agency (NCA)

Operation Spincaster demonstrates the NCA’s commitment to collaborating with tech partners in the private sector to tackle fraud.   This work has protected victims here in the UK, and provided opportunities for us to pursue organised crime groups causing significant harm.

Hiring now - Proceeds of Crime Centre Regulators! As a PoCC Regulator you will be involved in the design, development and delivery of Proceeds of Crime Act training courses as well as the accreditation and monitoring of financial investigators - suitable for both current or previously accredited financial investigators. Apply here 👉 https://bit.ly/4cRbizh Applications close 21 July.

An organised crime group responsible for laundering millions in criminal cash, drug distribution and the attempted fraudulent acquisition of £1.5million of government grants has been dismantled following a NCA investigation. Rickinder Hare and Neelen Balarajah were sentenced to a total of 14 years and six months for money laundering and conspiracy to supply class A drugs. In 2022, NCA officers witnessed Balarajah take possession of a ‘Gucci’ embossed box containing over £20,000. When challenged, Balarajah attempted to escape, driving his car at the arresting officers. Hare who had organised the exchange was subsequently arrested. Officers searched Balarajah’s home and found a substantial amount of cash, herbal cannabis, cocaine, and numerous empty wrappings which also tested positive for traces of cocaine. The group also attempted to secure access to government grants and funding to remove waste from a commercial site. NCA investigations demonstrated that they didn't have the capacity to remove and legally dispose of the waste, and were looking to divert the funds, most likely to other criminal ventures. Our investigation has identified a number of individuals closely linked to the group, as well as connections to politically exposed individuals overseas. We will continue investigating to determine if any of these were associated with their criminal activity. Read the full story ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eVJvsdpT

World Youth Skills Day is the perfect time to consider working with Cyber Choices to help young people utilise their technical skills and pursue careers within the cybersecurity industry. From running competitions to delivering talks, there’s numerous ways in which you could play an influential role in the futures of talented and skilled young people. If you are interested in working with Cyber Choices, take a look at: www.cyberchoices.uk

A man from Birmingham has been charged as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into the attempted importation of firearms components. 39-year-old Yasir Khan, from Sparkhill in Birmingham, was detained by officers from the NCA's Armed Operations Unit on Friday 12 July in the Jewellery Quarter area of the city. The arrest follows the seizure of 72 firearm component parts, including top slides and barrels for handguns, found hidden inside the fuel tank and under the bonnet of a car which had been shipped from Pakistan to the UK. The parts were recovered by Border Force officers on 7 July at London Gateway port. Following his arrest Khan was questioned by NCA investigators and today (13 July) he was charged with the attempted importation of firearms. He will appear before Birmingham Magistrates on Monday 15 July. Working with our law enforcement partners we will do all we can to protect the public by preventing illegal firearms reaching the streets of the UK. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e9uEe_Py

Yesterday, our National Economic Crime Centre Public Private Partnerships team hosted its first in person engagement event, held at the Financial Conduct Authority in Stratford.   The event showcased the power of collaboration and brought together over 100 key stakeholders, from a diverse range of sectors including accountancy, banking, building societies, insurance, legal, public sector, regulators, tech sector and trade bodies amongst others, all the with the common goal: to work together to drive down economic crime in the UK.   The event aimed to foster collaboration and networking amongst partners, and included two panel discussions on Emerging trends in Public Private Partnerships, including online and international threats, data sharing challenges and opportunities for future collaboration.   Feedback from attendees highlighted the importance of partnerships across industry and Government, with the realisation that no single organisation or sector can address Economic Crime alone. We all bring unique skills and knowledge to the table; we are stronger and more effective when acting together to achieve shared goals.

An NCA investigation has dismantled a prolific criminal network responsible for smuggling hundreds of migrants into the UK illegally. Key members of the Teesside-based network, including its figurehead, Muhammad Zada, were found guilty by a jury on 11 July following a six-week trial. Zada, from Middlesbrough, coordinated at least five conspiracies to smuggle Iraqi-Kurdish migrants into the UK from mainland Europe in 2017. His associates were responsible for recruiting drivers and facilitating the movement of people into the country. Migrants were charged between £5,000 and £10,000 by the crime group to be hidden in vehicles, including refrigerated lorry trailers, and brought to the UK. Zada had purchased the van and arranged for ‘Milan Builders’ to be painted on the side before plotting the journeys. The crime group also duped drivers to unwittingly smuggle migrants by tasking them to transport legitimate commodities between the UK to mainland Europe. People were then loaded into vehicles without the driver’s knowledge. Footage captured by NCA officers shows Zada examining the campervan hired by his co-conspirator Gurprit Kahlon to transport the migrants from France. Mohammed Zada was found guilty of five counts of conspiring to facilitate breaches of immigration law while five of his associates were also found guilty of immigration offences. All six men will be sentenced in September. This result is testament to the successful partnership working of the NCA, law enforcement agencies on the continent and UK regional police forces. Tackling this crime type is a top priority for us – the NCA alone has more than 70 ongoing investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/esHKYwV9

Three British nationals have been arrested and 36 firearms seized as part of joint Spanish National Police and NCA investigation. Armed officers deployed to 36-year-old Anthony Finnigan’s property in Murcia, Spain, on 20 June. Finnigan is suspected of being part of a British organised crime group responsible for trafficking class A drugs through Spain to the UK. He emerged from the property accompanied by another British national, Hasan Topal, 35, and a firearm was discharged in the direction of the attending officers. Warning shots were then fired by the officers and both men were detained without sustaining any injuries. During a thorough search of the property, officers discovered 36 viable firearms, primarily Walthers and Heckler & Kochs, and 755 9mm bullets. The NCA’s international network played a key role in support of the Spanish National Police operation that saw four men arrested and dangerous weapons seized. Suppressing the availability of illegal firearms in the UK, and preventing their use or acquisition by criminals, is a top priority for the NCA and its law enforcement partners. Read the full story on the news link in our bio.

The NCA has worked with partners to target and successfully disrupt an organised crime group suspected of using shipping to smuggle people into the UK illegally. The Albanian-based group investigated by the NCA over a period of around a year utilised ships visiting smaller ports around the UK coast from near Europe. The NCA worked with partners including Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and Humberside Police to increase checks on vessels as they arrived, resulting in multiple arrests. Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA, and we are determined to use the full range of methods at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling networks, preventing harm to those they exploit for profit. The NCA currently has more than 70 investigations ongoing into individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dRsNfBwq

The NCA hosted an event at the West Midlands Police Museum this week as part of the Female Senior Leadership Development Programme. Female officers came together to hear from speakers including Corinne Brazier, the museum's Heritage Manager and Shenaz Muzaffer, General Counsel at the International Association of Prosecutors, on embracing unconventional routes to leadership. Speakers shared practical tips for progression and set officers a challenge to put new skills into practice. Inspired by the museum's history, discussions focused on the journey of women in law enforcement and the work still to be done to break down barriers for women and improve representation.