26/07/2010

By Graham Buck

Home secretary Theresa May has confirmed the abolition of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), which was heralded as ‘Britain’s answer to the FBI’ when it was established four years ago.

SOCA’s future has been in doubt for some time, due to its poor record in seizing assets from Britain’s 6,000 criminal gangs and tackling the UK's £20 billion black economy.

It was criticised last year by the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, which reported that only £1 was seized from organised crime gangs for every £15 in SOCA’s budget. MPs said that the agency “lacked transparency and accountability”. It is also regarded as overly secretive.

SOCA’s demise will form part of a comprehensive shake-up of national policing and its duties will form part of a new National Crime Agency to combat organised crime. Another quango, the National Policing Improvement Agency, will also be scrapped and either have its duties transferred to the new agency or to the Home Office.

The new agency could see a change in how the internet is policed. It is also set to take over the campaign to combat cyber criminals. SOCA has been responsible for the UK's international initiatives with the majority of cybercrime scams originating overseas. It also acts as a central interception agency, tapping phones and the internet on behalf of police forces.

SOCA was itself created by the amalgamation of several existing police units in 2006, including the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit.