UK Policing News

Barriers to prevent child sex offences on the open web are so “shockingly low as to be virtually non-existent”, the National Crime Agency has told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). NCA Director Rob Jones told the inquiry panel this week that this fact should be of the gravest concern to all, especially the tech companies running the platforms offenders use and those who support them with advertising payments. The prevalence on the open web of images of child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) – and the use of the web to groom and live-stream child abuse – represents a crisis for modern society. The problem is treated as such by law enforcement…

Men accused of attempting to smuggle four handguns and ammunition in to the UK. 24 May 2019 Two men have been charged with attempting to smuggle four firearms and ammunition in to the UK. National Crime Agency investigators were called in after the four Heckler and Koch handguns and 100 rounds of 9mm ammunition were found by Border Force by officers on Sunday 19 May in a BMW car at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Coquelles. The firearms and ammunition were found in a bag underneath the carpet floor of the vehicle’s boot. The occupants of the car, Steven Landers, 55, of London Road, Elephant and Castle, and Steven Mulroe, 41, of Yelverton Road, Battersea, were a…

An ex high school associate head teacher has been jailed after he admitted collecting more than 2,000 sexual abuse images of children and possessing class A drugs. Paul Newbury, 50, from Wood Green, London was sentenced to two years and four months at Southwark Crown Court today (Thursday 23 May). In October 2017, Newbury, was in an online video conferencing room where the live sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl was shown. He was using the username ‘north London’ which National Crime Agency investigators linked to his home in Wood Green, London. In February 2018, NCA officers arrested Newbury – who at the time was working at Acland Burghley School, Camden, London – …

The macho image of male police officers dealing with terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower disaster could be putting off women from joining the Met, Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick said toda https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cressida-dick-terror-attacks-made-met-look-too-macho-for-women-a4144821.html

Andrew Whiddett sentenced to 38 months behind bars 22 May 2019 A former lieutenant colonel in the British Army has been jailed for 38 months after spending thousands of pounds paying for and directing live-streamed child sexual abuse from the Philippines. Andrew Whiddett, 70, also discussed flying to the country to commit contact child sexual abuse himself. He admitted six charges at Croydon Crown Court and was jailed. National Crime Agency senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said: “Andrew Whiddett admitted live-streaming offences and making indecent images of children. “He believed he could carry out those sickening offences from the comfort of his own ho…

Two Hungarian lorry drivers have been jailed for 20 years for smuggling 30 kilos of cocaine Two Hungarian lorry drivers have been jailed for 20 years for smuggling 30 kilos of cocaine with a street value of £2.4m. Imre Szatmari, 47, and Joszef Papp, 40, were jailed at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday (17 May). They pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. They were sentenced to 11 years and three months and nine years respectively. The National Crime Agency were called in to investigate the pair after Border Force officers stopped the freight lorry in February at Dover Docks. Officers believed the lorry was trying to evade border controls as it tried not to stop at the …

A member of Syria’s ruling Assad family has forfeited the contents of her UK bank account. 21 May 2019 A member of Syria’s ruling Assad family who received hundreds of thousands of pounds while studying in London has forfeited the contents of her UK bank account. Following an NCA investigation, a forfeiture order was granted at Westminster Magistrates Court today (May 21 2019) on a sum of £24,668.24 held by 22 year old Aniseh Chawkat - niece of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. Fifty-six cash deposits were paid into Chawkat’s account at branches of Barclays across England during 2017 and 2018. These totalled more than £150,000, despite her having no identifiable source …

Police arrest 586 people in county lines crackdown 21 May 2019 Related TopicsCounty lines drugs trade Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionPolice tackle county lines drug operations in Hastings Nearly 600 suspected members of county lines drugs gangs have been arrested across the UK in the past week, the National Crime Agency has sa…

Revenge porn laws 'not working', say victim groups By Ben Robinson and Nicola Dowling 5 live Investigates 19 May 2019 Image copyright Getty Images Laws regarding so-called revenge porn are not fit for purpose and police sti…