Graeme Biggar appointed Director General of the National Crime Agency

Graeme Biggar CBE has been appointed Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Biggar has been leading the NCA since October 2021, on an interim basis, working on the UK's response to kleptocracy, illicit finance and child sexual abuse.

Taking on the role on a permanent basis, he will now focus on hunting cyber criminals and dismantling serious and organised crime groups that sell drugs and firearms.

Having previously served as Director General of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) at the NCA between 2019 and 2021 and as Director for National Security at the Home Office and Chief of Staff to the Defence Secretary, as well as holding senior positions in the Ministry of Defence and other government departments, he has been appointed to his new role on a five-year term.

In his previous roles, he worked on the response to the 2017 terrorist attacks, the Salisbury poisoning attack, and oversaw implementation of the Investigatory Powers Act as Director of National Security in the Home Office.

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.

"It has been a privilege to lead our officers over the past ten months. I will continue to support them in protecting the public while ensuring we operate with the highest integrity and standards."