Civil Service in the news
Public value award - Operations Airbridge and Westbridge
This year's award for public value went to Airbridge and Westbridge operations, which have massively reduced the number of smugglers bringing drugs into the UK.
The project was born in 2002, when a surge in smugglers using the “swallower” method to bring in cocaine from Jamaica was stretching HMRC resources to the limit.
A growing problem
As the name suggest, swallowers ingest tiny parcels containing drugs. Typically, they carry about 100 packages, collectively weighing around 500 grams. Once caught, prisoners require days of constant attention because of the medical risks. During 2001/2 over 800 smugglers using this method were caught at Heathrow and Gatwick, and the drain on resources was proving too much.
At the other end of the route, the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) was facing similar problems at Kingston and Montego Bay airports.
Joint approach
The British and Jamaican Governments agreed on a joint strategy to tackle the problem. Christened Operation Airbridge, it involved government departments, police officers, airlines and enforcement agencies from both countries - all equipped with state-of-the-art tracing equipment.
The impact of the operation was immediate, with detections by the JCF rising from 82 to 216 in the first year of operation. And this success has continued; in 2006/7, just five swallowers were detected at London's airports in 2006/7.
An annual investment of £250,000 has achieved savings of £130m per year for taxpayers.
Repeating the success
At the end of 2006, this successful partnership approach was adopted for a new project aimed at reducing drug smuggling via Ghana. A joint operation between UK and Ghanian enforcement agencies, and the Ghanian Narcotics Control Board, Westbridge has reduced the number of Class A detections in the UK from 62 to 11, and confiscated 1,310 kilos of drugs.
Celebrating the results
With just 11 staff years committed to both projects, Airbridge and Westbridge, have proved to be two of the most successful and economical operations ever mounted by the HMRC. And Brian Johnson, Operations Manager for both projects, was thrilled to see his teams win the award for public value.
“We are delighted to accept this award and I am grateful to all of the team members both overseas and in the UK for their hard work and commitment under difficult and sometimes hostile conditions.
“The excellent cooperation between UK Government Departments and Enforcement Agencies has been critical to our success and while small teams have been deployed to work alongside police colleagues in Jamaica and Ghana there has been a huge amount of support from many people based in the UK who I hope see themselves associated with the award.”
David Holmes and Chris Matthews, who have worked alongside the JCF and completed over 20 operation tours, were both flattered to be recognised as part of an operation which they feel “undoubtedly gives value for money.”
Like Brian, David believes the project has succeeded “because of the dedication and commitment of the people involved.”