Organised Crime
Key links
Home Office is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Government departments
The Home Office (HO) is responsible for the Government’s strategy on tackling serious organised crime within the UK.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plays a major role in breaking up and punishing serious criminal organisations.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) One of the FCO’s strategic priorities is to protect the UK from illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other international crime.
The Treasury carries out key work in combating money laundering and regulation of money service businesses.
The Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office (NIO) are responsible for devolved operational policing matters.
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
National services
The Security Service is responsible for protecting the UK against threats to national security. The Secret Intelligence Service provides the British Government with a global covert capability to promote and defend the national security and economic well-being of the United Kingdom.
The Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency has devolved responsibilities to prevent and detect serious and organised crime as it affects Scotland at a national and international level.
Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force is a forum where government, law enforcement and other agencies set strategic priorities for tackling organised crime.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and prosecutes serious and complex fraud in the UK
The Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Directorate delivers specialised investigative, proactive and intelligence development approaches to a range of serious crime.
City of London Police Economic Crime Department is the City of London’s dedicated fraud squad.
Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) is responsible for prosecuting some of the UK's largest criminal cases from drug smuggling to tax fraud and money laundering.
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
Victim Support is the independent charity which helps people cope with the effects of crime.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is part of UK police and is dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse.
United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) is a multi agency centre that provides a central point for the development of expertise and operational co-ordination in relation to the trafficking of human beings.
Government and Information Services online contains tools to find contact information for public sector, charity and voluntary organisations in the UK.
Policing partners
Police Forces in England and Wales
Police Service Northern Ireland
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and NI (ACPO)
Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS)
Association of Police Authorities
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
Independent Police Complaints Commission
National Policing Improvement Agency
Europol aims to improve the effectiveness and co-operation of European Member States in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other international organised crime.
Other key partners
APACS is a trade association for institutions delivering payments services to end customers. It is the main industry voice on issues such as plastic cards, card fraud, cheques, electronic payments and cash.
British Bankers' Association is the leading trade association in the banking and financial services industry representing banks and other financial services firms operating in the UK.
Financial Services Authority (FSA) is an independent body that regulates the financial services industry in the UK. One of the FSA~Rs four statutory objectives is to reduce the extent to which it is possible for a business to be used for a purpose connected with financial crime.
Trading Standards Institute (TSI)
Transparency International (UK) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation that aims to raise consciousness of overseas and local corruption issues within the UK and is the autonomous national UK Chapter of the global NGO, TI.
Money laundering and asset recovery
The Assets Recovery Agency aims to disrupt organised criminal enterprises through the recovery of criminal assets, and to promote the use of financial investigation as an integral part of criminal investigation.
Financial Action Task Force is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of national and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Fraud prevention
Identity Fraud This site is produced by the Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee, a collaboration between UK financial bodies, government and the police to combat the threat of identity theft.
FraudWatch International aims to protect customers and reduce the incidence of fraud and identity theft over the Internet.
Fraud Prevention This website provides advice for individuals and businesses on how to recognise fraud, how to avoid it through preventative measures.
The London Fraud Team collates and shares information on fraud via a multi-agency network.
National Anti-Fraud Network deals with all types of local authority fraud, including Housing Benefits, Student Awards, Trading Standards, grant applications, false invoicing and internal investigations.
NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service is a Special Health Authority which has responsibility for all policy and operational matters relating to the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud and corruption and the management of security in the National Health Service.
North East Fraud Forum is a police-led initiative which aims to promote fraud awareness and successful prevention strategies across public and private sectors.
Specified anti-fraud organisations
The following organisations are specified as anti-fraud organisations under section 68 of the Serious Crime Act 2007:
Insurance Fraud Investigators Group (IFIG)
Telecommunications UK Fraud Forum (TUFF)
Counterfeiting
Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG)
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau (CIB)
Federation Against Software Theft (FAST)
Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT)
Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS)
Crime reporting
Cardwatch is a campaign to prevent fraudulent use of plastic cards.
Crimestoppers operates across the UK to help identify, prevent, solve and reduce crime. Call 0800 555 111 anonymously to report any information about crime.
Consumer Direct is a consumer guide to detecting and avoiding scams and rip-offs.
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) This is a hotline for reporting illegal content on the internet hosted in the UK.
The National Neighbourhood Watch Association promotes good citizenship and greater public participation in the prevention and solution of crime.
Virtual Global Taskforce is an international alliance of law enforcement agencies aiming to identify, locate and help children at risk from online child abuse.
UK Missing & Exploited Children is a police website dedicated to finding missing and abducted children.
The Home Office is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
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Last update: Thursday, November 13, 2008