The damage caused to the EU economy due to the VAT fraud reached EUR 60 million. The fraudulent schemes affected several countries, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain.An organised criminal group involved in pan-European VAT fraud and money laundering has been dismantled in a joint operation led by the Spanish National Police, together with the Spanish Tax Agency and supported by Europol and Eurojust. The investigation also saw the involvement of national authorities from Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Romania. In ...

A Bradford man who disappeared when asked to attend an interview at a police station has been sentenced in his absence at Leeds Magistrates’ Court. Muhammad Irfan Aslam, who investigators want to speak to in relation to a case involving the provision of unlicensed security staff in West Yorkshire, was convicted on 22 March 2018 of failing to provide information to the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Aslam, a former director of Inovation Services Groups Ltd, ignored repeated requests for information from the SIA. He also breached the conditions of his own SIA licence by failing to notify...

On 12 March 2018, Trevor Frater trading as Elite Door Staff was found guilty of supplying an unlicensed door supervisor on six occasions in Alford and Louth, in Lincolnshire. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) began investigating Frater in May 2017 when Lincolnshire Police brought the matter to their attention. This was following the conviction of Carl Pettit, a door supervisor who had been working for Elite, for assault and working without an SIA licence. The SIA’s criminal investigation team followed up on the intelligence supplied by Lincolnshire Police, and discovered that Pettit ha...

On Monday 5 March 2018, Paul McDonald pleaded guilty at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court to working without a Security Industry Authority licence. In addition his wife Siobhan McDonald, the director of Morsec Holdings Ltd, of Melksham, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to two offences of providing false information and failing to provide information to the SIA. 1. Mr Paul McDonald was fined £300 [due to Section 3 (2) (f) PSIA 2001] and his costs were £700 and a victim surcharge of £30. 2. Mrs Siobhan McDonald was fined £600 [due to Section 19 PSIA 2001] and her costs were £700 and a victim surc...

Mick Creedon QPM takes over the position as Chair of Atmaana’s Emergency Services and Security Division with immediate effect. This comes following the announcement that the Prime Minister has appointed Peter Maddison QPM as Chair of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body. Peter served as Chair from 2012, providing strategic and operational direction to the business. Harish Natali, CEO of Atmaana commented: “Thanks go to Peter Maddison for the sterling work he has done over the past 6 years and we wish him well in his new appointment; we would like to welcome Mick on board and look forwar...

The UK Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) event took place at the Royal Lancaster in central London on 1 March. Over 400 security professionals gathered to celebrate outstanding performance from across the sector, with dinner and a presentation hosted by recently retired Chief Constable of Derbyshire, Mick Creedon QPM.OSPAs founder Professor Martin Gill commented “This year saw a significant rise in the quality and number of entries received and all finalists should feel very proud. The judging process is strict and robust; each judge marks independently against a set o...

In the lead up to the prestigious Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) awards ceremony and dinner, Infologue are going to cover the leading four nominations that have been shortlisted for the 2018 OSPA Lifetime Achievement Award, and as voted for by the judges. This prominent award recognises a senior member of the security community who has been working in the industry for over 30 years. It acknowledges an individual who has consistently shown outstanding performance and who has had a substantial impact upon designing and driving standards in the security sector. James (Jim) G Br...

On 19 February, at Portsmouth Crown Court, Victor Lewis, directors of Sightguard Security Ltd, was ordered to pay over £10,000 following an order under the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA). The order is the result of the first independent confiscation order under the PoCA pursued by the SIA. It follows a prosecution by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) of both men on 7 December at Newport Magistrates Court, Isle of Wight. Victor Lewis was also fined a total of £750 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500 for supplying unlicensed security operatives, and for providing the SIA with false informa...

In the lead up to the prestigious Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) awards ceremony and dinner, Infologue are going to cover the leading four nominations that have been shortlisted for the 2018 OSPA Lifetime Achievement Award, and as voted for by the judges. This prominent award recognises a senior member of the security community who has been working in the industry for over 30 years. It acknowledges an individual who has consistently shown outstanding performance and who has had a substantial impact upon designing and driving standards in the security sector. Stuart Lowden CS...

Over 41 000 cultural goods such as coins, paintings and drawings, furniture and musical instruments, porcelain, archaeological and paleontological objects, books and manuscripts and sculptures were seized all over the world as a result of coordinated law enforcement actions. These seizures were made during the first Global Global Customs-Police Operation, codenamed ATHENA and organised by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in cooperation with INTERPOL, and during the regional Europe-focused Operation PANDORA II, coordinated by the Spanish Guardia Civil and Europol. Both operations took plac...