Organised crime is killing more British, citizens than war, terrorism and natural disasters combined according to a new report by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The report, due out on Tuesday, will say that organised crime is one of the most deadly threats facing the country.
NCA director-general Lynne Owens said that “people should understand that serious and organised crime kills more of our citizens every year than terrorism, war and natural disasters combined,” warning that the problem “is chronic and corrosive, and the message needs to be heard by everyone”.
“Against a backdrop of globalisation, extremism and technological advances, serious and organised crime is changing fast and law enforcement needs significant new investment to help combat it,” she added.
In April, Europol announced that in its estimation organised crime across the continent was a bigger threat to the population of Europe than terrorism.
The organised crime industry was said to be worth 110 billion euros a year. Most of the crime was said to be carried out by Italian, Albanians, and Eastern European mafias, as well as motorcycle gangs.Asian, African, and South American groups were also said to be becoming more and more prominent in organised crime across Europe as well, with many of the groups now working together.
The stark warning on organised criminals comes as Britain is in the grip of a general crime wave. Figures released in January show that there was a 14 per cent surge in homicides in the previous year across England and Wales — which may have been higher if not for medical advances and the establishment of specialist trauma networks.
Robbery was also up by 22 per cent, with rises recorded for burglary, theft, and vehicle-related theft as well.
Overall, it was reported that fully one in five adults in the United Kingdom had been a victim of some form of crime over the previous 12 months.