Supergrass plan to snare 'Mr Bigs'

Published on Wednesday 24 November 2004 13:17

SCOTTISH ministers are to consider introducing a new system to encourage "supergrasses" to turn in gang bosses, it emerged today.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill will set up a system in England and Wales to allow criminals who shop their criminal godfathers to win immunity from prosecution or have their sentence heavily reduced.

Existing criminals who "turn Queen’s evidence" already have their sentences reduced and are often given new identities, but this will be the first time that this approach has been formalised in an Act of Parliament.

A Scottish Executive spokesman today said: "We are aware of the Home Office proposals in this area and will be studying them in detail.

"We have a separate and distinct legal system in Scotland and any similar measure would have to be tailored to the Scottish system."

The Bill is also expected to include powers to force crime bosses to hand over their bank statements for up to a decade after release from jail to prove they have gone straight.

The new Serious Organised Crime Agency, modelled on the US’ FBI, will be headed by former MI5 boss Sir Stephen Lander and will have some powers to operate in Scotland. It will create a 5000-strong elite squad of specialised investigators pursuing organised criminals through all legal means.

It will take over the functions of the National Crime Squad and National Criminal Intelligence Service and those parts of HM Customs and the immigration service responsible for tackling organised drug and people smuggling.

The agency will work closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the intelligence services MI5 and MI6, the police, the Inland Revenue and Customs.

Those elements of the customs, revenue and immigration service drafted in to SOCA will have powers in Scotland.

In particular, the powers to trace proceeds of crime and demand bank statements will operate north of the Border.

The Bill includes provisions to regulate the private security industry which will apply equally to Scotland and England and Wales.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling said SOCA would be able to pursue inquiries in Scotland with the assistance of the Scottish police and authorities affecting organised crime in England and Wales that also operated north of the Border.

And he expects the Scottish Executive to legislate to set up a parallel body in Scotland to work closely with the English and Welsh body.

The Executive would have to legislate, owing to differences in the Scottish legal system which cannot be dealt with from Westminster.

The Home Office said that in drug-trafficking cases less than one per cent of cases brought by Customs and Excise saw defendants "turn Queen’s evidence" and shop their companions in crime compared with 26 per cent in US drug trafficking cases. Home Secretary David Blunkett believes putting the question of supergrasses turning Queen’s evidence on a firm statutory basis could substantially increase the number who take this option and help cut the cost of organised crime to society.

Edinburgh gang leader Roderick Mclean was believed to have his criminal activities overlooked in exchange for passing information to the police.

He bought and sold stolen goods from a junk shop while organising massive drugs shipments. At the same time he was secretly one of Lothian and Borders Police's most prolific informers.

His luck finally ran out after an ill-fated plot to smuggle a massive cannabis consignment into Scotland left a customs officer dead.

He was found dead in a flat in London in January after he escaped from an open prison six years into a 21-year sentence.

SOCA is expected to acquire powers currently held only the serious fraud office compelling suspects to answer questions and produce documents in cases where organised crime charges are laid.

The Bill would follow Scotland in creating a new offence of incitement to religious hatred to protect groups - particularly Muslims - from hate attacks. And there will be new powers to extend the scope of search warrants so they apply to any premises occupied or accessed by a named person with extended time limits.

An overhaul of police officers’ powers in England and Wales under the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act will also be brought in.

Critics of the proposals said the sweeping powers in the Bill would be misused and bring Britain a step closer to a police state.