The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) was a

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

policing agency. Following the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2001, NCIS returned to direct funding by the Home Office in 2002 and was a non-departmental public body. On 1 April 2006 it was merged into the newly created

Serious Organised Crime Agency The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) was a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom which existed from 1 April 2006 until 7 October 2013. SOCA was a national law enforcement agency with Home Office sponsorship ...

. The unit was established in April 1992, previously known as the

National Drugs Intelligence Unit The National Drugs Intelligence Unit (NDIU) is a British police service providing law enforcement agencies with information and intelligence about criminal activity. Its functions as defined in statute are to "gather, store and analyse information ...

. Organised according to the Police Act 1997, the functions of NCIS were to gather intelligence data and analysed this information to provide the necessary insight and intelligence to national police forces. The act also empowered the service with rights to perform surveillance operations. Organisation of the service included units specialising in organised crimes and crimes involving illicit drugs, football and financial issues. A specialised unit was focused especially on kidnap and extortion, counterfeit money, the stealing of automobiles and paedophilic crimes. At the time of the creation of the service, there was a paedophile unit integral to the organisation of the service. The service consisted of 500 officers. The service was designed specifically to act against crime classified as both organised in performance and of a serious nature. Relevant groups were to include necessarily: * at least three people * engaging in ongoing criminal activity for prolonged periods, something like a "

career criminal A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enhanced o ...

" * are motivated in acting to gain in power and for the accumulation of profit. The service received £138 million in funding during 1999. The unit was merged with the

National Crime Squad The National Crime Squad (NCS) was a British police organisation which dealt with national and transnational organised and major crimes. Formed in April 1998 after the amalgamation of six former Regional Crime Squads, it merged with parts of H ...

and other agencies in 2006 to form SOCA. The Director General had no responsibility for terrorist responses, which at the time was dealt with by the Security Service (MI5) and Constabulary Special Branches coordinated by the Metropolitan Police Special Branch (MPSB).

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* * {{Authority control Defunct law enforcement agencies of the United Kingdom 1992 establishments in the United Kingdom 2006 disestablishments in the United Kingdom