The Coalition Government has launched the new National Crime Agency, to replace SOCA.
The law enforcement agency will be responsible for leading the national response to cut serious and organised crime – from tackling multi-million pound, cross-border criminal networks and gangs and cyber-crime, to tracking down child sex abusers and uncovering complex international fraud.
The NCA has 4,000-plus officers. It will hold the single authoritative intelligence picture of serious and organised crime affecting the United Kingdom, and have the mandate and powers to lead and co-ordinate the police and other law enforcement agencies.
The NCA will lead the UK fight to cut serious and organised crime and will comprise four commands: Organised Crime, Economic Crime, Border Policing and CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) and have a National Cyber Crime Unit to reflect the broad range of threats that are posed by serious and organised criminals.
Keith Bristow, Director General of the National Crime Agency said: “The NCA is a UK-wide crime-fighting agency, which will have the capability to tackle serious and organised crime in areas that have previously had a fragmented response, such as the border, cyber and economic crime, and those where we need to increase our impact, like child protection and human trafficking.
“The NCA will be at the centre of a reformed policing landscape that will co-ordinate the fight against some of the United Kingdom’s most sophisticated and harmful criminals.”
Home Secretary Theresa May, pictured, said: “I want to make Britain a hostile environment for serious and organised criminals, with the new National Crime Agency leading that fight.
“For the first time we now have a single national agency harnessing intelligence to relentlessly disrupt organised criminals at home and abroad with its own warranted officers, and the power to lead officers from other law enforcement agencies in coordinating that activity.
“The new National Crime Agency will mean that there will be no hiding places for human traffickers, cyber criminals and drugs barons.”
