Just how clued up are the UK le?

Just wondering if there is as much emphasis on catching deep web criminals in the UK as in the USA? I am yet to hear of 1 uk user who has been charged with buying products from the deep web, after all if the jury don't understand something then they can't charge you. Regardless I would be interested in knowing just how high up the uk LE rank dark net transactions? Is there a specific department set up to deal with this like to US or do they just let the US do all the work?


Comments


[4 Points] Tricloid:

Hey man, my two cents.

My friend got arrested back in the early SR(1) days, from what I understand our coppers are relatively...slow on the uptake? He was charged with 3 months of community service and a few hundred quid for a fine.

He was caught importing ten to fifteen E's, and when they came to his house they found four bags of 1g MDMA, and his phone was full of texts. Whether it was a bluff or not, they claimed that he was some kind of genius because they'd not heard about this stuff before (this was a while back, mind), and were pretty confused.

They dropped importation charges however out of complication, and got him with intent to supply, but obviously it didn't have the worst possible outcome. Criminal record still, but I don't know if the importation stuff has changed. I think part of the problem was linking him to the actual importation itself, it wasn't exactly trafficking but it was clear they were intended for him, which made it a bit tricky to charge.

As a final note, he would've been fine but the pills went to someone else's address (not purposely, somehow the postman ballsed up) and either the package was leaking or the person opened it, being a pleasant twat!

Hope that helps, mate.


[3 Points] tangent1:

Basically if the UK did not have the push from the USA it would not happen, listen though when SR1 got shut down they also busted plutopete "UK Vendor", he has got off on all charges as he was not selling illegal items.

Something to scare you though, in 2004 a research chemical website was shut down, the UK went after its USERS all buying very small quantities. They arrested 22 people overall, all of them in England, usually they do not bother with such small arrests. None of them went to prison or anything, and the USA did not even bother arresting any of there own citizens.

http://archive.is/oPxMm

ANYWAY - do they have similar operations to bring down sites like in the US? Probally not, they most likely work together and do a load of the ground work, asking this question though no one can answer here, unless we have any National Crime Agency employees within us?????

Operations to bring down darknet drug sites ALONE? Probally not no, as a joint operation with US ? Yeah, arresting people who buy online? Yeah. Running postal operations to stop importation of drugs? Yeah...

The "Cyber Crime Unit".. e-crime etc I think mostly dedicate there time and budget against fraudsters, child pornography, cyber attacks, defence systerms etc I think would all easily come before drug investigation.


[2 Points] Bullm:

I realise that no one has any definitive answers other than le but any info/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


[-2 Points] galaxyandspace:

Money inputted = results.

As the USD remains the staple currency for world drug trade (not Bitcoin, yet!), the USA maintains a distinct interest in world drug trade.

The USA also invests a great deal more then most countries into taking down drug distribution on its own soil, where as most other countries concentrate on keeping their boarders more secure.

The USA likes to see returns on its investments... Therefore, the SR was taken down.

I have a feeling the UK maintains some interest in preventing drug trade, but the funds aren't in place yet for them to make big destructive plays. For now, they monitor the mail system, which is a system that's already in place to catch illegal goods...