National Crime Agency (NCA)

Three men have been arrested and 250kg of cocaine seized in an operation by a specialist law enforcement team set up to fight organised crime. The trio, all Albanian nationals in their 30s, were arrested yesterday by officers from the London Organised Crime Partnership – a team of officers from the NCA and Metropolitan Police. Officers arrested the suspects after the drugs – which have a street value of £20m – were recovered from a lorry in Dartford, Kent. The men remain in custody and are being questioned on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ecJe8bAg

Could you spot the signs of modern slavery? 👉 Unusual travel times 👉 Restricted freedom of movement 👉 Few or no personal belongings 👉 Isolation 👉 Fear Be observant and trust your instincts; if something doesn't feel right, then it most likely isn't. Report any suspicions 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e9CP_yGh #AntiSlaveryWeek

A Hungarian lorry driver has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for attempting to smuggle 29kg of heroin into the UK, following an NCA investigation. Canterbury Crown Court heard that Tibor Dobos, 54, was disappointed he was only smuggling 29kg of heroin, which had a street value of £2.9m. His mobile phone messages to members of the organised crime group showed he wanted to smuggle 60kg of the Class A substance, worth £6m on the street, and receive a bigger pay out for his efforts. He denied smuggling the heroin and his trial heard he had made space for the drugs somewhere between Italy and Belgium. His fingers prints were all over boxes where the heroin was hidden and he had also sent a message to someone confirming he had concealed the commodity. Working with partners at home and abroad, the NCA will continue to do everything possible to fight the Class A drugs threat. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eAbSC3s9

A group of international law enforcement partners will come together to go after some of the most dangerous drugs traffickers in the world. The National Crime Agency, Western Balkan and international partners will work together in a new group to fight organised crime groups from the Western Balkans that smuggle cocaine from South America to Europe, devastating communities across the route. The announcement comes as the UK hosts the annual Western Balkans summit in London. The group will harness some of the best subject matter experts in the world and will focus its efforts on disrupting those OCGs involved in the source-to-street supply of cocaine. Tackling illegal drug supply is critical to making the streets of the UK safer, as drug use and drug related deaths continue to increase and there has never been a more dangerous time to take illicit drugs. Read the full story on the news link in our bio.

Op Liberterra II was an INTERPOL led operation in 2024 targeting people smuggling and human trafficking across 116 countries. It led to the rescue of 3,222 potential victims of human trafficking. 14 people were arrested in the UK who were wanted overseas for modern slavery offences and nearly 400 pre-existing INTERPOL cases were reviewed to identify fresh avenues of investigation. Slavery may be closer to you than you think. There could be victims of exploitation working in domestic servitude or forced labour on your street.  If you suspect modern slavery, report it to Crimestoppers. In an emergency, always call 999. Don't leave it to someone else. Your information could save a life. #AntiSlaveryWeek

We're working with partners in the UK and around the world to pursue those responsible for human trafficking. In Ghana, the 'Report Sakawa' campaign was launched in March in collaboration between the NCA, Ghana's Economic Organised Crime Office and the British High Commission in Accra, encouraging the public to anonymously report romance fraud activity. It went on to discover a huge modern slavery ring with over 200 victims forced to work in appalling conditions on only one meal per day. Online scam centres using human trafficking victims is a growing trend, causing harm to victims across the world and the NCA is committed to tackling the organised crime groups responsible. #AntiSlaveryWeek

A court has ruled that a man investigated by the NCA was responsible for transporting hundreds of illegal migrants to the UK in small boats, HGVs and via yacht. A judge at Maidstone Crown Court had previously ruled that Iraqi national Mohammed Ali Nareman was unfit to stand trial but ordered that a trial of facts, based on evidence gathered by the NCA, should still take place. Following this, a jury at the same court found that Nareman had committed people smuggling offences. Officers from the NCA identified that Nareman, alongside a second man Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth was behind an incident in February 2022 where a yacht was run aground in Rye, Sussex. Karim was controlling a network of people smugglers throughout northern Europe and the Middle East and his phone showed he was involved in the movement of people from countries including Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo, using HGVs. Officers investigating Nareman discovered phone evidence including images of migrant passports and multiple conversations with contacts regarding HGV and small boats crossings, the prices migrants were charged, and even arguments with other facilitators relating to crossing attempts. Karim was arrested in Portsmouth in March 2024 and pleaded guilty to people smuggling offences in June 2024. He will be sentenced on 8 January 2026. Nareman will remain in custody until the same date. Tackling organised immigration crime remains a top priority for the NCA, and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle them, wherever they operate. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eXWh5V2J

Combating modern slavery and human trafficking is one of the NCA's highest priorities. The trafficking of Kenyan nationals to Thailand for labour exploitation, prostitution and criminal conduct is becoming an increasing cause of concern. The NCA is working with the Government of Kenya and Thai authorities to disrupt and dismantle facilitators of this crime using law enforcement interventions, and reviewing policies and procedural systems. Thanks to these close collaborations, several prolific human traffickers in Kenya have already been arrested, helping to safeguard the victims and protect the UK public from the scams they are forced to carry out. #AntiSlaveryWeek

Thousands of people across the UK are being held in squalor and undertaking forced labour. This #AntiSlaveryWeek, we'll be sharing three case studies, shining a light on the work the NCA and our international partners are carrying out to help put an end to modern slavery and the harm it causes to communities worldwide. Find out more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e9CP_yGh

WARNING: This post contains references to child sexual abuse. A man from London, who planned to travel overseas and rape children as young as six, has been convicted following an NCA investigation. Edward Gratwick, 68 from Mitcham, was arrested at Stansted Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Romania. NCA officers received intelligence about a UK national who had been communicating with another individual online, where they discussed meeting up to sexually abuse a nine-year old girl. The UK national was identified as Edward Gratwick and officers urgently deployed to arrest him while overseas law enforcement officers identified the other individual who was arrested, with three children safeguarded. Officers searched Gratwick's house and several electronic devices were seized. Officers analysed thousands of messages on his phone and identified he was using encrypted applications to communicate online with offenders around the world. They also discovered he had been sharing extremely graphic sexual messages and indecent images of children. Gratwick made frequent references to drugging his potential victims so they wouldn’t remember anything. When officers searched his house, they found bottles stored in his kitchen fridge which were examined and found to be Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) which is a Class B drug. Today, Gratwick was found guilty of 38 charges including arranging or attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He is due to be sentenced next month. The chat logs recovered from Edward Gratwick’s devices are some of the worst seen by specialist child abuse investigators at the NCA. Work continues with our international partners to identify those who Gratwick was engaging with and we will do everything in our power to safeguard any children from harm, wherever they are. We are grateful for the immediate response and support from UK and international partners during this investigation. FULL STORY ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ezR4TgGt