Police across the UK will soon be able to identify vehicles linked to organised crime much more quickly thanks to a new data-sharing arrangement with European partners.
The move is aimed at strengthening efforts to combat illegal migration and other forms of serious cross-border crime by giving officers rapid access to vehicle registration information held in EU countries.
Under the new system, police will be able to check overseas number plates through the European Prüm data-sharing network and receive results within seconds. Previously, officers often had to submit separate requests to individual countries, a process that could take days or even months.
The quicker access to information is expected to support investigations into criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling, drug trafficking and the movement of illegal firearms. It will also help officers identify stolen vehicles and track vehicles suspected of being used repeatedly in criminal activity.
When a vehicle record matches information held overseas, investigators will be able to obtain details such as vehicle ownership records and other intelligence that may assist ongoing inquiries.
Officials say the system will improve the UK’s ability to detect patterns of cross-border offending and provide a clearer picture of the networks supporting organised crime. Faster access to vehicle data is expected to help law enforcement agencies target operations more effectively and disrupt criminal supply chains linked to migrant smuggling.
The new capability expands the UK’s participation in the Prüm framework, which already allows police forces to exchange DNA and fingerprint information with European counterparts. The vehicle data element is due to be operational ahead of the upcoming UK-EU Summit in Brussels.
The first force to use the new service will be the Police Service of Northern Ireland, with implementation across other UK police forces planned in the coming weeks.
The arrangement is reciprocal, meaning EU law enforcement agencies will also be able to request access to vehicle registration information held by the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Authorities say this will make it harder for offenders to evade justice by crossing international borders and will strengthen cooperation between UK and European police services.
Detective Chief Constable Peter Ayling, National Policing Lead for International Crime at the NPCC, said: ‘The ability to access keeper details of EU-registered vehicles is a welcome addition to a suite of other capabilities that help the UK tackle international crime.
‘Crime is increasingly a global issue, and a swift and effective approach to exchanging information and intelligence with EU partners is critical for public protection.’
Photo: Imre Tomosvari
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