The newly-established Serious and Organised Crime Agency, SOCA, which is an analogue of the US FBI, has compiled a list of 100 most wanted organised criminal gangs.

Some criminal groups SOCA will fight are larger than the agency itself, having a staff of 4.2 thousand. Specialists estimate that the damage the organised crime incurs to the United Kingdom exceeds 20 billion pounds or 300 pounds per person. According to the data of the Home Office, the property of the organised crime bosses residing in Great Britain amounts to 440 million pounds, which exceeds the yearly budget of SOCA (400 million pounds).

The agency will devote 40 percent of its operational efforts to fighting drugs smuggling, 25 percent to fighting human trafficking, and 10 percent to fighting organised crime. In order to achieve its aims SOCA will send 140 officers to 40 countries of the world, many of them will enter corresponding foreign agencies, with which SOCA is to sign an agreement on prompt and effective exchange of information.

It was rather hard to mould SOCA because of the difficulties accompanying the process of merging different special services, namely those fighting organised crime, police intelligence, investigative departments of customs and migration services and civil experts. Nevertheless, resulting was the first body in Great Britain to combine the authority of police, customs and migration service. At the same time, the agents’ power won’t exceed that of other law-enforcing agencies.