The man who will lead the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime - and bring drug and people traffickers to justice - has been appointed by the Government.
Graeme Biggar is to take on the role of Director General of the National Crime Agency for the next five years.
In his role as head of Britain’s equivalent of the FBI, Mr Biggar will focus on hunting cyber criminals and dismantling serious and organised crime groups peddling drugs and illegal firearms and exploiting vulnerable people.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
“Serious and organised crime gangs and violence bring misery to our streets. As well as exploiting children and the vulnerable, this criminality also costs more than £37 billion a year to our economy.
“Going after the criminals who profit from human misery, abuse our children and citizens and show no regard for our borders and laws is what Graeme and I continue to drive.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has welcomed the appointment
Danny Lawson
“From dismantling people smuggling networks through the biggest illegal migration law enforcement operation across Europe to bringing the monsters who sexually abuse children in the UK and abroad to justice, Graeme and his remarkable NCA team have an outstanding track record of delivery.”
Graeme Biggar is to take on the role of Director General of the National Crime Agency for the next five years.
National Crime Agency
Graeme Biggar has served as Director General of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) at the NCA between 2019 and 2021. He has also served as Director for National Security at the Home Office, Chief of Staff to the Defence Secretary and has held senior positions in the Ministry of Defence and other government departments.
He helped to shape the response to the 2017 terrorist attacks and the Salisbury poisoning attack.
Mr Biggar said:
“I am delighted to have been asked to lead the National Crime Agency. The Agency’s mission - to protect the public from serious and organised crime - has never been more important.
“Serious and organised crime is chronic, corrosive and complex. The people and groups behind it have global reach, are technically sophisticated and digitally-enabled.
“In response, the Agency must focus upstream, overseas and online – while continuing to work with our partners systematically to target criminals, bring them to justice and reduce the harm they cause.
As the head of the NCA, the Director General leads around 6,000 officers based in the UK and overseas. The DG determines the NCA’s operational priorities and ensures that the agency is developing the right intelligence, delivering successful investigations and driving the overall UK law enforcement response to serious and organised crime.
Although the DG is accountable to the Home Secretary, the NCA is operationally independent from the Home Office.