Legal Experts Condemn ‘Unlawful’ Gathering Of Evidence

Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have welcomed an investigation into the way the National Crime Agency (NCA) issues warrants after reports that they may have been searching properties and seizing evidence unlawfully, for almost a decade.

The NCA has launched an internal inquiry into its use of warrants and production orders because of alleged failings in the way it applies for legal permission to conduct its operations.

The claims follow the collapse of major trials and amid warnings that other cases could be in jeopardy as a result.

Both the Crown Prosecution Service and the NCA are now said to be investigating every type of authorisation the organisation received to raid homes, seize property, and collect telephone and banking records.

According to the report, made by BuzzFeed News, the NCA admitted errors in four major cases – three of which have collapsed at a cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer.

The NCA’s deputy director Chris McKeogh, admitted the collapsed trials had been due to “incompetence” and added the review would be a “substantial task”.

A statement from the NCA said: “As well as the review, we have issued updated guidance to officers, revised the legal and awareness training for officers applying for warrants, and introduced additional rigour to the application and authorisation process, ensuring all new applications meet the required standard.”

Sarah Wallace, a Partner and Head of the Regulatory & Criminal Investigations team at Irwin Mitchell, said the allegations were “shocking.”