UK Policing News

Two Polish nationals found with nine kilos of MDMA worth hundreds of thousands of pounds have been jailed. Dariusz Wilczynski, aged 33, From Derby, and Baroslaw Pieczyski, aged 37, from Measham, were sentenced to 10-and-a-half years and four-and-a-half years respectively at Birmingham Crown Court, following an investigation by the Organised Crime Partnership – a joint National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service unit. On 9 May this year just before 11.30pm, Wilczynski drove his BMW car to Adison Road, Coleshill, Birmingham. Just a few minutes later, Pieczyski arrived in his Citroen van parking next to Wilczynski’s car. Both were arrested after officers from…

Two men who hid £60 million worth of cocaine on a yacht travelling from South America to the UK have been convicted of drug smuggling. 27 September 2019 The National Crime Agency, working closely with the Spanish National Police, identified the SY Atrevido as carrying the large cocaine shipment. British nationals, Gary Swift, 53, and Scott Kilgour, 41, both from Liverpool were stopped in the early hours of Tuesday 27 August 2019 on board the yacht, after Border Force cutter HMC Protector was dispatched and intercepted it approximately half a mile off the coast of Wales. The vessel was escorted into Fishguard port where NCA officers and Border Force’s Deep Rummage t…

Two men have been arrested by the National Crime Agency in London as part of an investigation into an Albanian organised crime group suspected of attempting to smuggle people into the UK in the backs of lorries. 27 September 2019 The investigation, led by the Belgian Federal Police, saw another 12 people arrested in Belgium and one held in Germany over the course of 23, 24 and 25 September. The arrests were triggered by the arrest of the suspected ringleader of the gang in Ghent on 23 September. The London side of the operation saw NCA officers move in to make arrests at locations in Basildon and Lewisham on Tuesday 24 September. The pair, Albanian nationals Admir…

The national centre to coordinate law enforcement activity to tackle County Lines has, in its first year of operation, protected more than 1,000 children from being exploited by drug gangs. Saturday 21 September A year ago today (21 September) the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) – jointly led by the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs’ Council – was created to map out the threat from County Lines and prioritise action against the most significant perpetrators. In its first 12 months, the NCLCC has developed the national intelligence picture, targeted County Lines networks, and engaged with partners from the health, welfare and educa…

A man has been jailed for 18 years for indecently assaulting three young girls in Rotherham almost 20 years ago. 20 September 2019 Mohammed Ahsan, 35, had previously pleaded guilty to three offences at Sheffield Crown Court. On Friday 20 September a judge at the same court sentenced him for the attacks, which took place between 1999 and 2001. He is the 20th person to be convicted as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency’s investigation into allegations of abuse and exploitation in Rotherham. NCA senior investigating officer Philip Marshall said: “Ahsan’s victims were chosen because of their vulnerability and I hope his conviction, like those that…

A man has been sent to prison after an illegal firearm was seized by police and National Crime Agency officers at his home in Midlothian. 19 September 2019 Steven Seaton, now aged 46, was arrested in May this year when officers from the Organised Crime Partnership (Scotland), a joint team of officers from the NCA and Police Scotland, executed a warrant at his house in Arbuthnot Road, Loanhead. A 9mm handgun was recovered from his bedroom. He later pleaded guilty to importing and possessing a prohibited weapon and on 19 September he was jailed for a year at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. NCA’s Head of Investigations for Scotland & Northern Ireland, Gerry McLean, said: …

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Pc Andrew Harper, who was killed while investigating a burglary last month. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/four-more-people-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murdering-pc-andrew-harper-a4238566.html

Thirteen people have been arrested and 56 firearms and 80k of heroin recovered as part of a joint investigation between the National Crime Agency, Bulgarian law enforcement and Merseyside Police. 18 September 2019 Two packages destined for delivery to Merseyside, were intercepted which contained 14 firearms, eight silencers and 691 rounds of ammunition. Nine suspects were arrested in Birkenhead and Wirral, Merseyside, by NCA and Merseyside Police officers on Monday, with three additional firearms and a significant amount of ammunition recovered. In coordinated strikes, Bulgarian law enforcement arrested four suspects – including a UK national – and seized 39 handgun…

Homophobic hate crime charges fall despite soaring reports By Mick Tucker, Dan Box & Ben Hunte BBC Radio 5 Live Investigations 11 September 2019 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption …

A man jailed for ten years for abusing young girls in Rotherham has been handed an additional 45 months in prison for witness intimidation 16 September 2019 A man jailed for ten years for abusing young girls in Rotherham has been handed an additional 45 months in prison for witness intimidation after trolling one of his victims on Facebook and Twitter. Waseem Khaliq, 35, also made a phone call from prison to the National Crime Agency control centre threatening two of the investigating officers. He said he knew where one of them lived, was close to finding out the address of the other, and hoped they died of cancer or AIDS. Khaliq was convicted of indecent assault a…

14 September 2019 Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption The fully-functioning solid gold toilet went on show at the palace earlier this week A 18-carat solid gold toilet has been stolen in a burglary at Blenheim Palace. The artwork w…

Six people have been arrested in Kent and London as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into a suspected organised crime group conspiring to smuggle migrants across the Channel in lorries and small boats. 13 September 2019 The six, all British men aged between 43 and 59, were arrested between Wednesday 11 and Friday 13 September in the Chingford and Folkestone areas for conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration into the UK. These arrests are connected with the recovery of 12 migrants recovered from the rear of a lorry in West London on Saturday 7 September. Following searches and interviews, five have now been released under investigation and one baile…