In a unique joint investigation between European Judicial and Policing Forces, hundreds of police are understood to have participated in a simultaneous sting targeting the 'Ndrangheta Mafia in Europe. Judicial and law enforcement authorities in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg have taken coordinated and decisive action against the ‘Ndrangheta. An aggressive mafia-style organised criminal group and one of the most powerful criminal networks in the world, which is thought to control as much as 80% of Europe's cocaine trade. As well as instigating systematic money laund...

New research by Perpetuity Research and the Police Foundation has found that the police response to victims of fraud is inadequate. Despite fraud making up to 31 percent of all crime, and more than one-third of victims reporting that the impact on them was severe or significant, fraud is not prioritised by the police. Perpetuity Research and the Police Foundation’s analysis of crime data and interviews with national and local practitioners found that the system for dealing with fraud is poorly structured, fraud prevention messages are confusing and victim support services do not cater for...

The UK OSPAs announced the finalists of the 2019 awards at a networking reception held at International Security Expo on Wednesday 28th November 2018. Now in their third year, the UK OSPAs serve to acknowledge the creditable and infinite contributions that companies, initiatives, teams and individuals make to the security industry and wider community. The awards recognise exceptional performance in different categories. “The standard of entries this year has again been really high making the judging process as difficult as ever” commented Professor Martin Gill, Founder of the OSPAs. �...

Tonight, Friday 30 November, the Security Industry Authority's (SIA) South East Partnerships and Interventions team and Sussex Police will be calling at Brighton's top student pubs and clubs. They will share best-practice guidance on safer physical intervention for door supervisors as a reminder of how to keep their clients and themselves safe. The aims of the event are to promote the importance of safer restraint and reduce any possible violence during the festive season. The initiative marks the launch of a campaign in Brighton to improve students' safety during the Christmas party seas...

Yesterday (Thursday 22 November), Martin Makesa (49) of Bettons Park in east London, the sole director of London Guard Security Limited, and Emily Kamau (35) from Stratford and a former company director, were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court. They were found guilty of providing unlicensed security guards - an offence under the Private Security Industry Act (2001). Makesa and Kamau received a sentence of three months' imprisonment (suspended for 18 months) and required to do 80 hours' unpaid work. They were ordered to pay £2,000 each and they were disqualified from holding company direc...

Security and Risk professional Guy Mathias has been appointed as Chairman of the Eastern Region of the CSSC (Cross-sector Safety and Security Communications). Operating on a charitable basis and founded in June 2011 by a team of senior UK security experts, the CSSC was started as a means of facilitating communications between the private and public sectors on issues surrounding security and business resilience. Guy Mathias, who is the Risk and Operations Director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory and a strategic adviser to Dardan Security said: “The CSSC is all about information sharing and help...

Businesses from the North-West region benefit from security event held at St Ann’s Church on Tuesday 13th November 2018. Organised by Manchester City Centre Crime Prevention Panel (MCCCPP) with the support of Greater Manchester Police, Manchester City Council and Atmaana Business Consulting, this annual event aims to inform businesses about current issues facing the region and better prepare them in dealing with any security challenges that they may face. Deputy Mayor and Panel Patron, Baroness Beverley Hughes opened the event and Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson QPM from Greater M...

At Caernarfon Crown Court last Friday 9th November, Mark Pursglove (52) of Llanberis Road, Caernarfon was ordered to pay over £18,000 for his previous convictions including working without a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence. Pursglove's previous convictions were for providing unlicensed security operatives, giving the SIA false information and working as an unlicensed director. The court heard that Pursglove is estimated to have earned over £66,000 from illegally operating a security business. The assets considered under the Proceeds of Crime Act included a family home and a Mer...

An international law enforcement operation against maritime pollution has revealed hundreds of violations and exposed serious cases of contamination worldwide. Codenamed 30 Days at Sea, the month-long (1 to 31 October) operation saw some 276 law enforcement and environmental agencies across 58 countries detect over 500 offences, including illegal discharges of oil and garbage from vessels, shipbreaking, breaches of ship emissions regulations, and pollution on rivers and land-based runoff to the sea. Steered by a global network of 122 national coordinators, 30 Days at Sea involved environment...

Steven Renouf, who is the owner of Taghna Security Services, had supplied up to 40 unlicensed staff to the school over the course of a contract dating from 2006. In addition to deceiving his client, Renouf had dishonestly convinced his own employees that they didn't require a licence. Renouf appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court on Tuesday 06 November, and pled guilty to all 23 charges against him. Pete Easterbrook, of the Security Industry Authority's (SIA) Criminal Investigation Team, said: "Steven Renouf ran his security business with a complete disregard for the safeguards provided fo...