Crackdown on ‘deadly’ organised crime
MINISTERS declared war on Britain’s underworld yesterday as it emerged that organised crime costs the country at least £37billion every year.
The National Crime Agency estimates there are around 4,600 criminal gangs in Britain posing a threat considered graver than terrorism.
In a new drive against the menace, the Government warned the “full force of the state” will be mobilised to ensure crime networks endure “relentless disruption”. The NCA’s director general Lynne Owens said the range of serious crimes has changed rapidly in volume and complexity over the past five years.
“It means children being abused, the vulnerable being trafficked, it means cyber crime,” she said.
“It means criminal markets that trade drugs, trade firearms, trade in people and make profit as a result.”
However, so far just £48million has been set aide for fresh initiatives at a time when over-stretched police forces are struggling to cope with rising crime after savage funding cuts. Launching the serious and organised crime strategy, Security Minister Ben Wallace said: “Serious and organised crime is the deadliest and most damaging national security threat we face.”
Strategy priorities included “lifetime” tracking of main offenders; intervention in overseas communities which feed recruits into organised crime groups operating in the UK; tackling border controls corruption; denying criminals access to their finances.