National Crime Agency (NCA)

Return to NewsFour would-be smugglers today joined six convicted for a plot to bring drugs through the port of Dover in a false-bottomed fridge van. Following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), a jury found Alexandrs Voroneckis, Aigars Kokins, Andris Baltais and Viktor Medvetkiy guilty of conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin at Manchester Crown Court. Andris Baltais The four were the Kent-based arm of a plot hatched by Edward Avis, 63, from Aigburth, Liverpool, to pick up 7.7kg of cocaine and almost 6.5kg of heroin in Antwerp and import it to the UK. Avis, along with his Merseyside-based associates Ian Pauline, Phillip Cray, Paul Firth, …

Return to News8 February 2017 A former teacher who admitted raping and sexually abusing children aged between 10 and 15 has been given 13 life sentences with a minimum term of 16 years. Mark Frost, previously known as Andrew Tracey, pleaded guilty to 45 offences including rape, sexual assault and inciting sexual activity with a child under 13. Sentencing him today at the Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft QC said: "It is clear you have an obsession with sexually abusing young boys with evidence of planning and grooming." He added Frost's offending was "truly shocking" and that he was someone who will continue to pose a risk to children. Kelly Alleyne, Child Protection Ma…

Return to NewsA child sex offender has today been sentenced to five months' imprisonment following a joint investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and PSNI. Timothy Bates, 40, of Belfast, had pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and one count of possessing an extreme image. One of the pleas related to material in the most serious category for images of child abuse. Sentencing at Belfast Crown Court, Judge Smyth said that what had been found on Bates’s computers was “shocking and terrifying” and that the sentence reflected “the seriousness and public disgust at these offences”…

Return to News06 February 2017 Over 800 potentially lethal weapons have been seized and 282 suspects arrested during a month-long operation aimed at preventing criminals and terrorists gaining access to illegal firearms. As part of an intensive initiative led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Counter Terrorism Policing (NCTP), officers across the UK seized 833 firearms - nearly half of which are viable with hundreds still being assessed. Working together the teams also recovered 4,385 rounds of ammunition and over 100 additional potential weapons such as knives. Among other confiscations were 80kgs of illegal drugs and more than £500,000 cash. Lead offic…

Home News Prison for man who planned to sexually abuse child Return to News 3 February 2017 A man who admitted making and distributing indecent images of children as young as 12 has been given a two year prison sentence, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency. Lee Callaghan, 45, (right) was arrested at his home in Gibbs Road, Newport, on 26 May 2016, by NCA officers acting on information that he had made contact with a known paedophile online in an effort to arrange to meet and sexually abuse a child. A phone and laptop computer seized from his home were examined and found to contain a number of indecent images, at least one of which he had share…

Return to News 1 February 2017 An appeal for people who may have been sexually abused by a former teacher has been launched across the British Isles today by the National Crime Agency. Mark Frost - formerly known as Andrew John Tracey - aged 70, admitted sexually abusing children over a period of at least 25 years today at the Old Bailey. He pleaded guilty to 45 offences including rape, sexual assault, inciting sexual activity with a child under 13 and making indecent images of children. He will be sentenced later today (01 February 2017). His victims were all male, aged between 10 and 15, and from the UK and Thailand. P…

Return to News 27 January 2017 A man who told investigators “you stop being a child at 12” after being found in possession of more than 1,000 images of the most serious child abuse has been sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years. Simon Colburn, 50, of Caldicot, Monmouthshire, shared his view with National Crime Agency officers after being arrested in November 2015 when he lived in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. The NCA received information about men sharing indecent images of children. Enquiries led investigators to Colburn’s flat which was searched and computers and pen drives seized. A trawl through his electronic devices showed he possessed 1,29…

Return to News26 January 2017 A man who helped a drug smuggler evade justice has been sentenced to six years in prison following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). David Toal, 45, used his house in London Colney, Hertfordshire, to shelter drug smuggler Anthony Dennis until a surveillance operation by NCA officers tracked him down. Dennis, who is believed to have spent much of his two years on the run in Spain, was handed a sentence of 13 years and four months in 2015 for plotting to import up to three tonnes of cocaine into Europe. He and Anthony Wilson, who was sentenced to 12 years, conspired to source cocaine from South America and arrange for it …

Return to News24 January 2017 A National Crime Agency firearms officer who risked his life to protect the public during a criminal shootout has been honoured for his outstanding bravery. Martin Finney has been awarded the George Medal after taking on a gunman who then shot at him seven times. The officer – previously referred to as NC32 - was on a surveillance operation with his Armed Operations Unit (AOU) in Tottenham, north London, at 10.45pm on 23 May 2014 when attacker Sedat Meric began firing into a pool hall as part of an on-going gang feud. Martin was walking back to his car after being stood down for the evening from the operation when hooded Meric unloaded fo…

Return to News24 January 2016 The Italian police arrested 54 individuals believed to be connected to the ‘Ndrangheta mafia clan today after National Crime Agency (NCA) intelligence led investigators to a plot to import eight tonnes of cocaine into Europe. Assets worth EURO8million were seized as more than 500 Italian law enforcement officers made arrests in eight regions of the country, scuppering an alleged plan to ship the drugs directly to Italian ports in containers. Some 20kg of cannabis were seized as well as ammunition for pistols and automatic weapons. The Guardia di Finanza began its investigation in 2014 after the NCA passed on information through the countr…

Return to News19 January 2017 The National Crime Agency has risen five places in the sexual equality charity Stonewall’s list of top 100 employers The agency improved on last year’s 91st place to be ranked 86th in the 2017 Stonewall workplace equality index - an annual audit of workplace culture for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff. More than 430 employers from across the public, private and third sectors submitted entries. To be considered by Stonewall, organisations have to satisfy 10 criteria to show they are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) inclusive in all areas of employment, including career development and training. The benchmarking exercise f…

Home News Registered Firearms Dealer allegedly converted lawfully held weapons for criminal use Return to News 18 January 2017 A 67-year-old man has been charged with a number of offences relating to the criminal use of firearms, following an investigation led by the National Crime Agency. John Spencer Booth, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire was arrested on Monday 16 February in Birmingham by officers from the NCA’s Armed Operations Unit. Officers stopped the vehicle he was driving and recovered 10 sawn-off shotguns and over 200 rounds of ammunition. Further searches were supported by Derbyshire Constabulary and enquiries are on-going. Ammunition seized from Booth's ca…

Home News Pink cocaine seizure leads to jail for member of Caribbean crime group Return to News 18 January 2017 A man who smuggled bright pink liquid cocaine into the UK hidden inside pressurised cylinders has been jailed for 16 years after an investigation by the National Crime Agency. Errol Watson, age 54, from Wanstead in East London was arrested after Border Force officers at Gatwick examined a consignment labelled as oil filters, which had been shipped from Barbados. Cylinders inside the filters were x-rayed (see below), revealing a suspect substance inside. When officers drilled into the cylinders a bright pink liquid came out. It tested positive for co…

Home News Ferry workers smuggled cocaine on route from Rotterdam to Hull Return to News 17 January 2017 Two former ferry workers have been found guilty of smuggling class A drugs into the UK from the Netherlands. The National Crime Agency began an investigation into Eddie Tron, 51, and Mark Quilliam, 55, after the conviction of one of their former colleagues, Jonathan Heald, in 2013. Heald was arrested in possession of around £60,000 criminal cash and was jailed for money laundering. An undercover NCA officer befriended Tron over a three month period. During this time Tron confided in the officer, that he and Heald had been working together to import drugs from…

Return to NewsSuspected paedophile Stephen Carruthers, who went on the run and became one of Britain’s most wanted fugitives, has been arrested in France after crashing his car. The 43-year-old from Bury was wanted by Cumbria Police on suspicion of 18 offences of making indecent photographs of a child. Carruthers, who featured on the Operation Captura most wanted fugitives campaign run by the National Crime Agency and Crimestoppers, was living in a cottage in Saint-Denis-Catus and is believed to have been using a false name. He was admitted to Cahors Hospital with minor injuries on Saturday and was kept in for observations. Subsequent checks by the French authorities…