U.K. creates SOCA -- an FBI-like organization
SOCA (Serious Organized Crime Agency) has been created to tackle organized crime in the U.K. at the tune of 400million
U.K. creates SOCA — an FBI-like organization
The U.K. government has created a new agency called Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA). It is the U.K.’s first attempt to set up a single body to tackle major organized crime. The two main police services which previously dealt with organized crime, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS), have been merged into a single body. Additionally, relevant parts of Customs and Excise and the immigration service have been merged into the new body. SOCA will have 4,300 staff, including 120 officers based in 40 countries around the world. NCIS formerly employed 1,200 staff, while the NCS had 1,330 detectives and 420 support staff. The government will fund SOCA to the tune of “400 million a year — considerably more than the “230 million that was spent on NCIS and the NCS.
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An eleven-person board has been appointed by the Home Office, chaired by former MI5 director-general Sir Stephen Lander. Former NCS director-general Bill Hughes will remain as director-general of SOCA.
