Organised crime 692/2026

FOI Reference: 692/2026

Request:

Please provide the following information for the period from 1 June 2020 to 1 June 2026, broken down into one-month intervals.

1. For each month, please provide the number of recorded offences within the Dyfed-Powys Police force area that were tagged, flagged, or otherwise marked in Dyfed-Powys Police systems as relating to "organised crime".
2. Please also explain how Dyfed-Powys Police defines or applies the "organised crime" tag or marker, including the types or categories of offences that may be included.
3. If possible, please also provide the current total number of organised crime groups or organised criminal gangs identified within the Dyfed-Powys Police force area, subject to any applicable exemptions.

If providing the information in one-month intervals would exceed the applicable Freedom of Information cost or time limit, please increase the interval length as necessary to bring the request within the limit, using the shortest intervals that can reasonably be provided.

Response 1 & 2:

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities.  Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at s1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at s1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon section 17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which:

a) States that fact

b) Specifies the exemption(s) in question and

c) State (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies

Dyfed-Powys Police Force can neither confirm nor deny that it holds information relevant to your request as the duty in s1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply, by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 31(3) – Law enforcement

Section 31 is a qualified, prejudice based exemption and requires evidence of harm and a public interest test to be carried out.

Evidence of Harm:

Questions 1 and 2 seek to establish whether the force holds information capable of identifying and quantifying offending assessed as being linked to organised crime.

Whilst it is publicly known that police forces identify and manage organised crime groups, information concerning the way offending is associated with organised crime forms part of policing's wider operational and intelligence picture.

Information relating to organised crime is not routinely available across the wider force and access is often restricted to those with a legitimate operational need to know. The extent to which a force can identify, assess or quantify offending associated with organised crime is therefore not information that is routinely placed into the public domain.

Confirmation or denial of whether information is held would reveal whether the force possesses information, capabilities, arrangements, or processes which enable offending to be associated with organised crime assessments and quantified for reporting purposes. Equally, denial would reveal information about the force's ability, or inability, to identify and quantify such offending.

The request effectively seeks to establish how the force develops and maintains its understanding of organised criminality affecting its area. Revealing whether such capabilities exist would provide insight into policing's operational and intelligence arrangements and assist those seeking to understand the extent to which organised crime-related activity can be identified, assessed, and monitored by the police.

Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act is a disclosure to the world at large. Confirmation or denial would therefore be likely to prejudice the prevention and detection of crime and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. Accordingly, Section 31(3) is engaged.

Public Interest Test

Factors favouring confirmation or denial:

There is a recognised public interest in openness and transparency regarding policing's response to organised crime. Confirming or denying whether information is held may assist public understanding of the extent to which organised crime affects local communities and how police forces respond to that threat. There is also a legitimate public interest in ensuring accountability for the effectiveness of policing activity directed towards tackling organised crime and protecting the public from serious criminality.

Factors favouring maintaining the NCND position:

There is a significant public interest in protecting information which would reveal how policing identifies, assesses, and monitors organised crime-related activity. Questions 1 and 2 seek to establish whether the force possesses the capability to identify and quantify offending linked to organised crime assessments and how such information is recorded, assessed, or otherwise applied. Confirming or denying whether information is held would provide insight into policing's operational and intelligence arrangements relating to organised crime and could contribute towards a wider understanding of how forces develop and maintain their organised crime picture.

There is a strong public interest in ensuring that information concerning policing capabilities is not disclosed where doing so could assist those involved in organised criminality. Confirmation or denial may provide information about the extent to which offending associated with organised crime can be identified, assessed, and monitored by the police. Considered alongside responses from other forces, this could contribute to a broader understanding of policing arrangements and capabilities in relation to organised crime. There is therefore a substantial public interest in protecting information which could undermine the effectiveness of law enforcement activity and prejudice the prevention and detection of crime.

Balance Test

The force recognises the public interest in transparency and accountability regarding policing's response to organised crime. However, there is a stronger public interest in protecting information which would reveal whether the force possesses capabilities, arrangements or processes that enable offending to be identified and quantified as being linked to organised crime. On balance, we consider that the public interest favours maintaining the Neither Confirm Nor Deny position.

Response 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however we are withholding that information by virtue of the following exemption:

Section 31(1) – Law enforcement

Section 31 is a qualified, prejudice based exemption and requires evidence of harm and a public interest test to be carried out.

Evidence of Harm:

To disclose any details about the number of organised crime gangs (OCGs) would undermine operational law enforcement as well as risk prejudice to current investigations, some of which may be covert. Providing the requested information would reveal specific detail about the police intelligence picture in relation to OCG’s operating within the Dyfed Powys police force area. The release of such information to the public at large would enable those engaged in criminal gang activity to potentially identify what the Police may and may not know about organised crime gangs. Particularly in the event it was to be revealed that no information was held, that would identify to offenders that individuals or criminal activity to which they may have links has gone undetected. Furthermore, if disclosures were to be made by all forces for this national request, a low level intelligence picture of organised criminal gang activity would be revealed which would expose the specific focus of policing targets across the UK. The police will not disclose any information that would undermine operational policing.

Public Interest Test:

Factors favouring disclosure – Section 31

Disclosure of the requested information would allow the public to see where public funds have been spent and allow the Police service to appear more open and transparent.

Factors against disclosure - Section 31

Disclosure of the requested information could compromise Police intelligence and would reveal details in relation to OCG’s operating within the Dyfed Powys police force area, which in turn would affect the force’s ability to prevent and detect crime. Modern-day policing is intelligence led and the Police share information with other law enforcement agencies as part of their investigation process. Disclosure here could hinder the prevention and detection of crime by undermining this partnership approach to investigations and law enforcement.

Balance Test:

After considering the advantages and disadvantages in disclosure it falls upon Dyfed-Powys Police to conduct a balance test on the issues. The strongest argument for release, which is better awareness for the public and how funds are spent need to be weighed against the strongest argument for non-release which in this case is effective law enforcement. Whilst there is a public interest in transparency to provide assurance that the Police service is appropriately and effectively engaging with the threat from organised criminal gangs, this should be balanced against the forces ability to prevent and detect crime and the need to protect sensitive police intelligence and ongoing operational activity. In this case, effective law enforcement supersedes better awareness of how public funds are spent and therefore, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 04/08/2026)