Left & Right in this picture NHTCU Cops in Israel
In UK/Israel
Cyber Crime Case in March 2005
NHTCU Investigation
NHTCU – the National Hi-Tech Crime
Unit
1. The NHTCU
was launched in April 2001
2. It targets serious crime with a hi-tech element
3. It's an agency led by the National Crime Squad
4. It works closely with the UK technology industry
5. It recovered over 3 terabytes of evidence in 2001
What is the NHTCU?
Hi-tech crime has
become a rapidly growing concern for the crime fighters in recent years.
Computers and the internet provide great benefits to society, but knowledgable criminals can exploit these technological
tools as an aid to commit crimes. To counteract this kind of crime the National
Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) was developed within the National Crime Squad.
The NHTCU works to
combat national and transnational serious and organised
hi-tech crime both within, or which impacts upon, the UK. It's the first
national law enforcement organisation of its kind to
tackle a specific area of crime. Crimes targeted include software piracy,
hacking and virus attacks, fraud, blackmail and extortion, on-line paedophilia, and identity theft.
How does it fight crime?
The NHTCU was set
up as part of the national hi-tech crime strategy announced by the home
secretary to Parliament in November 2000. This strategy was drawn up in
response to the identification of significant gaps in investigative capability
at local and national level.
The NHTCU recruits
investigative officers, forensic experts, computer consultants, and support
staff from the National Crime Squad, NCIS, HM Customs and Excise and other law
enforcement agencies. Their headquarters are in London, and the unit is
comprised of four sections: Investigations, Intelligence, Tactical and
Technical Support and Digital Evidence Recovery.
The Service
Authority sets objectives for the NHTCU and agrees on performance targets in
consultation with the Director General of the National Crime Squad. The Service
Authority is comprised of 11 members, eight of whom are also members of the
Service Authority for the NCIS. The Head of the NHTCU, accountable to the
Director General of the National Crime Squad, is responsible for the day to day
running of the Unit.
There's also a
special unit that looks into West African fraud. Many people receiving emails
from Africa asking them for money. Some people have lost thousands of pounds.
The NHTCU say that you should delete these emails, or forward them on to your
ISP. You should not reply to them, no matter how tempting the money is.
What's the history?
The NHTCU was
launched in April 2001 and is part of the National Crime Squad. Since October
2001, the NHTCU has been involved in over 10 operations and arrested 30 people
involved in serious and organised hi-tech crime. This
has resulted in over three terabytes of evidence being recovered - which if
printed off onto A4 paper in 12-point script would stand 30 miles tall.
The NHTCU has also
played a part in Operation Ore, the UK's largest ever police hunt against
internet paedophiles which has resulted in about
1,300 arrests out of a list of 6,000 suspects.
More information
National Hi-Tech
Crime Unit
PO Box 10101
London E14 9NF
Official NHTCU
website Till
10/5/06 was this:
Than
The National Hi
Tech Crime Unit has become part of the Serious Organised
Crime Agency
NHTCU Notice in the unit website
10/5/06
The National Hi
Tech Crime Unit has now become part of the Serious Organised
Crime Agency. As a result the NHTCU is no longer providing individual
responses to enquiries either via this web site or direct email contacts.
If you are a
member of the public wishing to report a crime or criminal attempt, please
contact your local police force within your country of residence. Details
of UK police force contacts can be found at
If you are a recognised Law Enforcement Agency outside the UK,
please refer to the latest version of the Interpol or G8 points of contact
lists for our new contact details. If you do not have access to the
latest manual please contact your local Interpol NCB for further details.
If you are a
member of a UK Law Enforcement Agency, please contact us via the main
SOCA switchboard
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