Blunkett launches new 'British FBI'

Published on Friday 13 August 2004 13:59

THE Government’s new "British FBI" was launched by Home Secretary David Blunkett today.

The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) will clamp down on "Mr Bigs" and their criminal henchmen.

He appointed Bill Hughes, 53, a former Deputy Chief Constable of Hertfordshire police who also served with Thames Valley and West Yorkshire, as SOCA’s first director general.

Mr Hughes will lead a war against organised crime which costs Britain 40 billion a year.

Former MI5 head Sir Stephen Lander was also named as chairman of SOCA.

The agency will focus on criminals such as drug smugglers, people traffickers and internet paedophiles.

With about 5000 investigators, SOCA will be merging the National Crime Squad, National Criminal Intelligence Service and investigation units at Customs and Excise and the immigration service.

A slice of the extra cash secured from the Treasury in the latest comprehensive spending review - boosting Home Office expenditure to 20.1bn in 2007-2008 - will be spent on creating the new agency. In March, Mr Blunkett revealed details of new powers he wants to hand SOCA officers.

Criminal "godfathers" could be forced to hand over their bank statements for up to a decade after release from jail to prove they have gone straight.

A white paper setting out a new strategy to tackle organised crime also proposed a new "supergrass" system. Criminals who "turn Queen’s Evidence" could win immunity from prosecution, or have their sentence cut if they shop their gang bosses.