Organised immigration crime

Report: 11
Date: 12 February 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

The MPS programme to counter organised immigration crime, which operates under the banner of Operation MAXIM, has forged excellent links with its partner agencies, the UK Immigration and Passport Services. Since its inception in March 2003, the MAXIM Proactive Team has successfully run 46 operations and is using the experience and knowledge gained to map the extent and structure of organised immigration crime networks in London and develop our strategy for the next 12 months. An important element will be encouraging communities to create their own representative structures, as part of a ‘Community Partnership Programme’, that act as a two-way conduit with the MPS to work together on resolving issues linked to countering organised immigration crime.

A. Recommendations

That the report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. Background

1.1 Phase 1 of Operation MAXIM, the pilot stage, began in March 2003 with a scoping study on the extent of organised immigration crime in London and early operations generated 46 arrests: 15 for serious crime, and UK Immigration Service (UKIS) removed 31 people as illegal entrants to the UK.

1.2 Following these early successes we have moved to Phase 2 and the establishment of MAXIM as a co-ordinated pan-MPS programme involving the dedicated joint-agency (MPS and UKIS) Proactive Team based at Electric House in Croydon, plus a Joint Intelligence Cell (UK Passport Service (UKPS), Immigration and Nationality Directorate Intelligence Service (INDIS), UKIS and MPS) at Putney. MAXIM is also acting as a clearinghouse for enforcement activity involving other Units of the MPS, focusing on Level 1 and 2 organised immigration crimes including,

• Human Trafficking (SO Heathrow Enforcement Unit)
• Vice and Prostitution (CO14 Clubs and Vice)
• Identity and Document Fraud (SCD6 Economic Crime Unit)
• Child Exploitation (SCD5 Child Protection Unit); and
• Money Laundering through 'cash priority’ businesses (SCD6).

1.3 Results for the Proactive Team during Phase 2 are impressive, as this summary demonstrates:

• 46 Proactive operations
• 102 Arrests [Total including Phase 1 = 148]
• 23 People charged
• 24 Cautioned
• 33 No further police action
• 21 People removed from UK [Total including Phase 1 = 53]
• 8 Sought Asylum after arrest
• 207 Forged, stolen or counterfeit passports seized
• 118 Other forged, stolen or counterfeit UK identity documents seized
• 80 Non-UK identity documents seized
• 52 Stolen or Counterfeit Immigration Stamps seized
• 4 Laminators seized
• 19 Computers seized
• £ 153,573 Proceeds of Crime Act cash seizures
• £ 12,237 Cash forfeited
• £ 150,000 Confiscated
• £1,100,000.00 [In assets awaiting restraint]

2. Achievements update

2.1 One of the priorities set by AC Ghaffur for the Specialist Crime Directorate’s Control Strategy is to tackle crime in vulnerable communities, to include people trafficking. Operation MAXIM continues to deliver an effective proactive response to support that objective. Significant operations since our last report are set out in Appendix 1. Virtually every operation stems from intelligence developed in partnership between UKIS, UKPS and the MPS Operation MAXIM Proactive Team.

2.2 Wider MPS partnership activity includes:

Operation KONTIKI – this CO14 (Clubs and Vice) led operation, involving MPS and UKIS visits to London’s saunas and brothels, continues to have a significant impact on the sex trade as a disruptive measure. Its primary focus is to identify and help trafficked and sexually exploited, vulnerable women. Wherever appropriate, the Immigration Law is used to remove people illegally in the UK, particularly those involved in the management of sex establishments. CO14 is working in partnership with the Home Office Eaves Project to provide long-term support to the limited number of women claiming to have been facilitated into the UK and exploited for prostitution.

Operation BEAU – continues as a partnership investigation involving UKPS targeting fraudulent applications for UK passports. The MAXIM Team are currently developing a number of operations arising from UKPS research. This ongoing programme of targeted operations is a good example of the benefits of co-ordination between the MAXIM Proactive Team, its Joint Intelligence Cell and the other Agencies.

Operation PALLADIN CHILD – is the SCD5 (Child Protection Group) led enquiry involving Social Services and UKIS reviewing control measures at Heathrow Airport to scope the number of unaccompanied minors from non-EU countries entering the UK, and the apparent risks to their health and welfare. The report will be published in February 2004 and will include recommendations for all the partners involved.

3. Relationship between MPS and other agencies

3.1 Governance for Operation MAXIM is maintained through a now well-established Steering Committee chaired by Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, which meets monthly and, in addition to members of the senior management from MPS Units, includes colleagues from the Reflex Secretariat. The latter have been of enormous support to the implementation of Operation MAXIM through the provision of the project initiation funding, as well as their Additional Projects Fund for specific operations and equipment purchases.

3.2 Moreover, UKIS leads the quarterly MAXIM Steering Group meeting involving the partner Agencies, which include UKIS and INDIS, UKPS and the Reflex Secretariat. This high level group ensures strategic co-ordination between the Agencies and the appropriate allocation of staff and equipment. It also provides an opportunity to resolve issues and identified barriers at Director level. One area still being addressed is the provision of two further Immigration Officers to bring the MAXIM Proactive Team up to its agreed strength of four, and one more INDIS officer to supplement the one already in place in the Joint Intelligence Cell (JIC). The provision of IT linked to the UKIS systems within the JIC is a further area that needs addressing.

3.3 UKIS are working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to develop a dedicated centre of excellence on the UKIS Croydon estate for prosecuting immigration offences and using Croydon Magistrates’ and Crown Courts as the designated Courts for immigration crime-related trials. To complement this work, SCD11 are negotiating with the CPS for a Senior Prosecutions Lawyer to be assigned to Operation MAXIM to work alongside the Proactive Team.

3.4 The MAXIM Proactive Team is sharing accommodation with the UKIS Enforcement Joint Intelligence Unit and the London Command Crime Group (LCCG). This is providing a welcome opportunity to work on joint projects, share skills and knowledge and determine which Agency is best placed to lead operations.

Barriers identified

3.5 It is evident, though, that UKIS and UKPS are working to a different set of objectives to Operation MAXIM. From an enforcement perspective, UKIS is focused on meeting Government targets for removals and, other than the 12-strong LCCG (and its support to MAXIM), considers identifying and tackling organised immigration crime networks as a secondary issue, potentially best addressed by police resources. This is leading to a number of missed opportunities where linked offences, such as forged passports coming from the same source, are not being followed up, because the focus is on removing the holder of the forged passport and not expanding the investigation to include identifying the network that supplied it and others in the series. The MAXIM management team are working with the JIU to address this issue.

3.6 Having identified a procedural gap, MAXIM is negotiating a protocol between the UKIS National Document Forgery Section and the MPS to agree a procedure for the submission of identity documents that complies with the Courts’ expectations of standards of evidence and forensic continuity and integrity.

4. Resource implications

4.1 As we head towards the anniversary of our first 12 months of operation, the MAXIM management are undertaking a strategic review of the lessons learned about the criminal processes involved in organised immigration crime across London, and how the criminal networks operate. This analysis will help shape our strategy for the next 12 months.

4.2 Four areas of criminal activity are readily apparent, some of which are having a significant influence on serious and organised crime in the Capital:

• The massive scale of identity document abuse to facilitate illegal immigration, or fraudulently obtain credit, State benefits, and employment;
• Massive growth in cash priority businesses providing greater opportunities for money laundering;
• Increasing involvement of illegal immigrants in the sex trade; and
• The worrying numbers of unaccompanied children entering the UK.

4.3 It is evident that we need to develop smarter working practices, which means an increasing use of covert investigative techniques in the proactive development of targeted intelligence-led operations. Consequently, the MAXIM JIC is increasing its strength by four Detectives from current SCD resources to enhance the development of intelligence packages for the Proactive Team. Ideally, MAXIM (and the SCD11 (3) Reflex Desk) need the support of a dedicated Surveillance Team to further enhance our capabilities and overcome competing with other MPS Units for support from the Surveillance Unit.

C. Equality and diversity implications

Operation MAXIM works to ensure that all activity meets with the obligations of the Human Rights Act and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act.

A vital strand of Operation MAXIM is the establishment of the “Community Partnership Programme” to act as a ‘critical friend’ to advise the MPS and ensure that MAXIM achieves its objectives in a culturally and community sensitive manner.

5. Community Reference Group

5.1 An essential element of MAXIM is the creation of partnerships with new and established immigrant communities, which are focused on a shared objective; to significantly disrupt, prevent and reduce serious criminality specifically related to organised immigration crime.

5.2 To achieve this we have identified around a dozen countries with communities here in London that we need to engage with in a “Community Partnership Programme”. We need to encourage these communities to form themselves into a structure that can act as a critical friend to MAXIM, and which is a two-way conduit for the community. These community structures should endeavour to include five key strands:

• Business Forum – key people from the immigrant communities who have established businesses in London;
• Religious Forum – including representatives from the principal faith groups and support networks;
• Youth Forum – integrating young people into the wider opportunities provided in London, as well as maintaining their cultural roots;
• Media – journalists based here in London and in the home countries to act as a conduit to communicate the positive messages about policing and community reassurance in London as well as our robust stance on enforcement;
• Key opinion formers – to act as critical friends and advisers and speed integration of their community structures into the existing community consultation framework, including the Borough Police and Communities Consultative Groups.

5.3 Parallel to this, MAXIM is working at the diplomatic and political level with the relevant Embassies or High Commissions in London, as well as Whitehall Departments, to increase understanding of the policing issues in London and develop strategies to close identified gaps in immigration and identity document controls that influence organised immigration crime.

5.4 To ensure that we engage with the wider community and other interest groups, the MAXIM management is a member of the Counter-Trafficking Steering Group, which includes a number of non-governmental organisations that support refugees and asylum seekers. New terms of reference are being considered to increase the relevance of this Group to the MAXIM programme.

5.5 To capitalise on our good relationship with the Media, we are taking a proactive approach to publicising our significant operational successes to raise the profile of MAXIM as a brand and through programmes, such as Crimestoppers, increase public awareness of our work and objectives targeting organised immigration crime in the Capital.

5.6 Such is the success of Operation MAXIM that Police from the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, West and South Yorkshire, and Humberside are now engaged with the MPS to develop their own MAXIM-type response to organised immigration crime in the regions.

D. Financial implications

In the October report to the Planning Performance and Review Committee the forecast cost for this year was £1.5m and the report stated that funding from existing SCD budgets had been identified to cover the £500k shortfall. In the event due to slippage in recruitment of police officers and Police Staff this additional funding is unlikely to be needed. The final details of Reflex funding for the next financial year is not yet finalized. In practical terms there will be a need for all Reflex partners to take stock of where they are on projects and funding and to establish how we best re-profile spending for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 to meet core Reflex aims.

E. Background papers

• PPRC 8 May 2003 (09)
• PPRC 9 October 2003 (05)

F. Contact details

Report author: Detective Chief Superintendent Frank Hooley, Specialist Crime Directorate (Covert Policing), MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1

Operation CHIFFCHAFF – Three arrests for deception offences and possession of a forged passport. Two were failed asylum seekers who have been cautioned and deported. The third was charged with forgery offences and remanded in custody to appear at the Crown Court where he pleaded guilty and now awaits sentence.

Operation PHALAROPE – One arrest for possession of a forged passport. Cautioned for a related immigration offence and awaits deportation.

Operation KITTIWAKE – five arrests for offences including illegal entry, working in breach of landing conditions, forgery and benefit fraud. The principal was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment.

Operation FULMAR – thirteen arrests for a variety of offences. The principal awaits trial for offences involving employing illegal immigrants. £24,450 confiscated as the proceeds of crime.

Operation BERWICKSWAN – one arrest. Charged with forgery and illegal entry. Sentenced to 7 months imprisonment. Once released, the subject will be deported.

Operation GADWALL – four arrests for a range of offences, including possession of forged driving documents and a blank forged passport. Two cautioned for illegal entry and one for handling blank credit cards and deported. The fourth awaits trial.

Operation REDPOLL – two arrests for conspiracy to defraud UKPS. This is a significant intelligence-led operation involving UKPS, UKIS and MAXIM. Items recovered include equipment that can be used to create false identity documents. Enquiries continue.

Operation SCAUP – one arrest for possession of three forged passports. Charged and awaits trial.

Operation WRYNECK – one arrest for possession of eight forged passports. Enquiries continue.

Operation SANDMARTIN – three arrests for obtaining UK passports by deception and other fraud offences related to credit cards. Enquiries continue.

Operation ROSEATE – one arrest for handling 37 stolen passports and being concerned in the facilitation of illegal entrants into the UK. Items recovered include equipment that can be used to create false identity documents. Enquiries continue.

Operation WIDGEON – one arrest for forgery offences involving the wholesale supply of counterfeit identity documents. The subject is currently on remand awaiting trial.

Operation DIVER – three arrests for possession of forged passports and attempting to facilitate illegal entry to the UK. Two are in custody awaiting trial, and the third, having pleaded guilty, remains in custody awaiting sentence.

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