In the Dock

Chapter 6: Multi-agency and international partnershipsThis chapter explores the role of other enforcement agencies than the police in the fight againsttrafficking by firstly outlining the benefits of multi-agency working, followed by a discussion of the roleand involvement of the main agencies in trafficking investigations. The chapter will then turn to thepolice’s relationship with its international counterparts and highlights the necessity of collaborationwhere trafficking is transnational. European policing and justice measures will be considered, and inparticular the Joint Investigation Team model is examined as an effective approach to dismantlingtrafficking networks.Multi-agency cooperationWhilst the police have a leading role in investigating trafficking, there are several governmentagencies that come into play when targeting trafficking networks. Service providers should also beincluded in multi-agency working acting as a bridge between police and trafficked persons. There wasconsensus among interviewed participants that multi-agency working was also a key element tosuccessful prosecutions. Each agency or organisation has a different perspective and skill set, andwhen combined through coordination, it can achieve more than working in isolation. Further, whereevidence to sustain a trafficking charge fails to materialise, discussions among agencies may revealother disruptive interventions. In this regard the Cross-Sector Intelligence Sharing hubs coordinatedby the Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator in Wales have added value to efforts in the region.Stakeholders involved in these hubs stated that regular meetings driven by clear terms of referencehad resulted in the development of relationships and trust building which allowed for the easierexchange of intelligence.General coordinated operations involving governmental agencies appear to have been undertakenwhere senior managers were interested in the subject matter and where activities overlapped with theagencies’ internal measurable performance targets. For instance, one interviewed participant referredto UKBA funded spot checks in nail bars, carried out jointly with HMRC and UKBA. However, checkswere discontinued when UKBA did not obtain sufficient immigration offences.Good practice - Operation SharvorBetween 2010 and 2012, Operation Sharvor, an MPS led multi-agency operation involving HMRevenue & Customs, the Department of Work & Pensions, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency,UK Border Force, Europol and Interpol, investigated criminality on the international coach networkentering the UK and terminating at London Victoria station. Later joint operations indicated thatpotential suspects were bypassing London for Derby, Sheffield and Bradford. The operation gatheredintelligence on criminal networks facilitating trafficking into the UK by examining passenger manifests.The manifests were also examined for patterns of travel and names were cross referenced againstother agencies’ databases to ascertain suspicious claims.The operation revealed that international coach travel is a cheap and unchecked entry/exit route intothe UK and therefore should also be an area of focus. It also highlighted that trafficking, documentoffences and commodity smuggling, in addition to other criminal offences are facilitated using coachtravel. Though there have been no prosecutions brought under the operation, it has been vital forintelligence building.Information gathered for this report reveals a lack of a joined-up approach and information sharing,with many agencies working independently of one another. One law enforcement officer stated, “it’spainful to go to the DWP and all these other agencies to get information because they are all doing65