Pakistan’s role in the prevention of international crime has been praised by the United Kingdom Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) at the launch of its first annual report on Friday. Speaking at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Director-General, SOCA, Bill Hughes said Pakistan has been actively assisting his organisation in different aspects of trafficking Mr. Hughes said SOCA has liaison officers stationed in Pakistan and are working very closely with the country’s law enforcing agencies in the prevention of international crimes. “The cooperation and help from Pakistani authorities had been excellent and SOCA is pleased with the support being provided by Pakistan agencies,” he said. He said SOCA is tackling serious, organised crime in new ways to reduce harm and make UK a hostile environment for dangerous criminals. SOCA in its first year of establishment has stored a number of successes. These include the seizure of 73 tonnes represent 20 percent of Europe’s estimated 350 tonnes supply annually, has prevented 35 potential murders while working with police forces around the world and due to hi-tech surveillance. Mr. Hughes further said SOCA has compiled initial target list of 1600 most harmful criminals to UK by sifting huge amounts of intelligence identify the most harmful some of whose danger had not been fully realised. He also noted SOCA’s 95 percent success rate in the courts, thanks to the agency’s criminal justice skills and a new approach of involving prosecutors from the start. Regarding its work in Afghanistan, Mr. Hughes said the work in that country to tackle the heroin trade has been done under very challenging conditions. He said in October last year, in the first raid of its type, three local banks were raided.” A very large amount of paperwork relating to movements of suspected drug trafficking money was seized. This has identified some 80 people SOCA are now targeting and significantly disrupted financing work in the region.” Mr. Hughes also spoke about Dubai as a major money laundering network in the region, adding that SOCA has a fantastic working relationship with the UAE authorities. He said the struggle against drug dealing, illegal immigration, fraud and other organised crimes is a marathon and not a sprint but working with others, SOCA has made a good start in its first year of operation since being launched on April 1, 2006 and is ambitious for what can be achieved in the years ahead. SOCA has been working closely with agencies in the UK, the UAE, Italy, Spain, Australia, USA, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, and in South America.
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