Met Police e-Crime Unit saves economy £140m

Savings come through money the UK has been prevented from losing through cyber crime

The Metropolitan Police's e-Crime Unit has saved the UK economy over £140m.

The savings have been made over the last six months after £30m was allocated to the ACPO National e-Crime Programme, which is responsible for delivering the policing response to the Cabinet Office's National Cyber Security Programme.

The funding has been provided by the government over a four-year period to support the development of the Met's Police Central e-Crime Unit, an 85-strong team whose remit is to tackle those responsible for the most serious cyber crime incidents of computer intrusion, distribution of malicious code, denial of service attacks and internet enabled fraud.

The Unit has delivered nearly 30 per cent of its £504m hard reduction target in this initial period alone. The figure relates to the amount of money the UK has been prevented from losing through cyber crime and has been achieved following a number of successful prosecutions and operations by the unit.

Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, from the Police Central e-Crime Unit said: "The PCeU continues to take action in its continuing efforts to reduce the harm caused to the UK economy and to UK citizens by those making use of the internet to commit crime."

Further information:

Metropolitan Police