Britain under siege from organised crime gangs with 180k villains — double the strength of the British Army
MORE than 180,000 villains linked to serious organised crime are laying siege to Britain, a report reveals today.
The total is double the strength of the British Army and costs the economy £37billion a year, according to the National Crime Agency.
It is “the deadliest threat facing the nation”, the NCA believes. Director general Lynne Owens said: “Serious and organised crime in the UK is chronic and corrosive. Its scale is truly staggering.
“It kills more people every year than terrorism, war and natural disasters combined.
“And it costs the UK at least £37billion a year — equivalent to nearly £2,000 per family.’’
The figures are in the NCA’s annual threat assessment, which is based on data from police, government, intelligence agencies, private and voluntary sectors.
It found at least 181,000 known members of serious organised crime groups and child abuse offenders operating on dark web sites in Britain.
It also revealed an emerging threat from younger IT-savvy crooks networking to carry out a multitude of crimes while using extreme violence.
Ms Owens said a £2.7billion investment in law enforcement was needed to fight organised crime over the next three years, with the NCA needing £650million.
She added: “Enhancing our capabilities is critical to our national security.
“If we don’t, the whole of UK law enforcement, and therefore the public, will feel the consequences.
“Some will say we cannot afford to provide more investment. I say we cannot afford not to.”
The report adds crime groups are being assisted by accountancy, law and financial professionals.
It also warns of increased use of the dark web and encryption to avoid detection and of cryptocurrencies being used to launder dirty cash.
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