NCA appoints new economic crime director

Donald Toon, HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) director of criminal investigation, has been appointed as the new director of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Economic Crime Command (ECC).

Mr Toon started his career in law enforcement in 1990, joining the then HM Customs and Excise, and has worked in criminal investigation, enforcement policy and operational management for more than 20 years. He has been HMRC’s criminal investigation director since 2011.

NCA director-general Keith Bristow said: “This is a key leadership role in the NCA and Donald was the outstanding candidate from a really strong field. Donald has worked in law enforcement for almost 25 years and will draw on his experience to lead collective law enforcement effort in identifying and tackling threats from economic crime impacting on the UK.”

Mr Toon said: “I am very happy to be joining the NCA. I see huge opportunities to improve the UK’s response to tackling economic crime and am very much looking forward to the challenge.”

Home Secretary Theresa May added: “Tackling economic crime is a key part of the Government’s serious and organised crime strategy and I congratulate Donald Toon on his appointment. Working with others in the law enforcement community and the financial sector, the NCA is relentlessly pursuing those who prey on the vulnerable and profit from crime.”

Trevor Pierce, the interim ECC director, will now take up a post as director of operations within the NCA.

The ECC director will sit on the NCA board with the organisation’s nine other executive directors and four non-executive directors.

The ECC’s role is to cut economic crime by disrupting criminal activity and educating those most at risk of attack.

It coordinates activity, shares intelligence and knowledge with partners, disrupting criminal activity and seizing assets