Letter: Customs work well with NCIS

Sir: Your headline is misleading and relates to a pilot survey of the extent of organised crime undertaken by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) last year.

Durham University was involved in the survey, which was agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and HM Customs and Excise. The report by the university contained several anecdotal quotes from some police and customs officers who were not willing contributors to the survey. They questioned its usefulness and relevance, not the performance of NCIS. This is why your report is so misleading.

The facts about NCIS are that 44 customs officers work for us alongside police and civilian staff. Posts we advertise attract large numbers of applicants. We receive outstanding support from the police service in general and the Regional Crime Squads in particular. Our work last year was responsible for the arrest of 1,378 criminals of major significance, seizures of drugs worth pounds 294m and the recovery of property worth pounds l8m. Our paedophile intelligence has contributed to the arrest of more than 100 people.

Anyone who holds that record in contempt is plainly out of touch.

A H PACEY

Director General, NCIS

London SE11