UK Policing News

Two people have been arrested as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into a suspected organised crime group believed to have been involved in the importation of a significant amount of MDMA into the UK in picture frames and sealant tubes. The duo were detained on suspicion of being concerned in the importation and exportation of class A controlled drugs during raids in Manchester and Doncaster in the early hours of this morning. The NCA investigation started after five parcels with a significant amount of MDMA in crystalline form – destined for addresses in the UK – were intercepted within a month. The first was found in Belgium on 8 November 2019, and the…

A police officer who shocked colleagues when she used a “derogatory and extremely offensive” racist term at work has been handed a final written warning. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/avon-somerset-police-officer-given-3648568 Similarities with the case below, 1 eventually leading to dismissal the other to a final warning. https://police.community/topic/332718-dont-let-racist-language-officer-back-to-work-or-give-her-appeals-cash-winnings-force-pleads/

A disgruntled ex-employee has been jailed after he admitted carrying out cyber attacks against Jet2 which took down their computer systems for more than 12 hours. NCA investigators proved that 27-year-old Scott Burns from Morley, Leeds, illegally accessed a domain operated by Dart Group and their subsidiary, Jet2, on two separate occasions in January 2018. Burns pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Computer Misuse Act in November and was yesterday (18/12/2019) sentenced to 10 months in prison at Leeds Crown court. Prior to the attacks, he was employed by ICT provider, Blue Chip, and worked on their Jet2 account until December 2017 when he left to work at anot…

A 37-year-old man from Slough has been convicted of his role in a plot to import 96 lethal firearms into the UK following an investigation by the joint NCA and Metropolitan Police Organised Crime Partnership (OCP). Stephen Spires, who admitted to never having had “a proper job”, was convicted of possession of firearms in July 2018 as part of this conspiracy. Following a retrial that lasted two and a half weeks, he was today (18/12/2019) also found guilty of working with Denis Kulencukov, 26, and Michael Nicholls, 28, (both convicted in 2018) to import the weapons into the UK from mainland Europe. Kolencukov was arrested on 1 July 2017 after 79 handguns and thousands …

Two Bradford drug dealers have been jailed after £3million of heroin and around £130k in cash were seized, as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. Yusuf Kara, 30, of Glendare Avenue, Lidget Green, Bradford, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering last month. Ashraf Khan, 31, of no fixed abode but formerly of Bradford admitted money laundering. They appeared at Leeds Crown Court today (Wednesday 18 December) and were sentenced to 10 years four months and 28 months in prison respectively. On Thursday 17 October, Ashraf drove his Citroen Berlingo van to Whinbrook Gardens, Leeds, where he pulled up next to a grey Peugeot, driven …

An airport security worker is among three people charged in connection with an attempt to smuggle cocaine worth more than £2 million into the UK via Heathrow airport. National Crime Agency officers, supported by Border Force, made the three arrests on Saturday 14 December. Airport employee Junaed Ghani Dar, 41, from Slough, was detained at Terminal 2 along with Michael Williams, 34, and Jessica Waldron, 33, both from Dudley in the West Midlands. Williams and Waldron had just arrived into Heathrow as passengers on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. After being questioned by NCA officers all three were charged with attempting to import class A drugs. They appeared befor…

A man from Northern Ireland has been jailed for more than four years for masterminding an attempt to import almost half a million fake pound coins into the UK. The old-style round pound coins were manufactured illegally at the European Central Mint (ECM) in Westpoort, near Amsterdam. Edward Magill, 55, from Poyntzpass, Newry, worked with a corrupt haulier to smuggle a consignment from the Netherlands over to the UK in December 2012. The coins were concealed beneath a layer of metal washers and hidden in barrels, on the back of a flat-bed trailer driven by trucker William Turnbull, from Haltwhistle in Northumberland. They were found by Border Force officers carrying …

A convicted online child sex offender has been jailed for 23 years for sexually abusing two boys and an unknown male, after a National Crime Agency investigation. Over the course of several years Richard Townsend, 57, abused the two boys - one aged from 11 to 15 and the other from 13 to 16. He was convicted by a jury of 14 counts including rape, indecent assault, indecency with a child and assault by penetration. His partner Mark Metcalfe, 56, was also convicted of two sexual assaults and one indecent assault and was jailed for seven years. The indictment against them covered the decade between 1996 to 2006. The National Crime Agency investigation into them began b…

Three Albanian men have been remanded on suspicion of plotting to supply half a million pounds’ worth of cocaine, assaulting NCA officers and having false identity documents. Denis Markeci, 29, and Endri Cena, 26, are accused of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and assaulting three officers when they were arrested on Friday at a property in Britton Gardens, Bristol. They were also charged with possessing false identity documents along with Dorian Zili, 25. The property was searched and false identity documents were found including four Italian and two Romanian identity cards, and illicit bank cards. The men, of no fixed abode, were remanded at Bristol …

Two Irish nationals have been charged with conspiring to import class A and B drugs, conspiracy to import prohibited weapons and money laundering, as part of a National Crime Agency investigation. Gary Vickery, 36, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Daniel Canning, 41, from Walkinstown, Dublin, were arrested by NCA officers yesterday (Tuesday 10 December) in Staffordshire. The allegations relate to a seizure of cannabis and cocaine at Dover in October 2017 and the subsequent recovery of a firearm at a property in the West Midlands. The pair were charged with conspiracy to import class A and B drugs, conspiracy to import prohibited weapons (firearms), possession of firea…

A convicted online child sex offender and his partner have been found guilty of sexually abusing two boys and an unknown male. In March 2018 Richard Townsend, 57, was given a two-year jail sentence suspended for two years after admitting encouraging the distribution of indecent images and making indecent images of children. A National Crime Agency investigation proved Townsend used a child sex offenders’ online conferencing room and had 158 indecent images of children (IIOC), 38 at the worst category, on his electronic devices. NCA officers launched a parallel investigation after uncovering a home-made video believed to be shot by Townsend, an accountant, of his part…