The UK border is both a vulnerability and a critical intervention point for serious and organised crime (SOC). Many OCGs are engaged in polycriminality, meaning that those involved in one form of SOC e.g. OIC are often found involved in others, such as drugs trafficking.
	Serious and organised crime often drives local-level criminal activity, as the distribution of illegal drugs and firearms contributes significantly to violence and disorder within communities. By disrupting the articles and networks that enable these criminal activities, the measures in this Bill help reduce the broader societal harm caused by serious and organised crime. This proactive stance in intercepting the possession and supply of crime-facilitating articles supports the government's mission of making UK neighbourhoods safer and decreasing crime rates on the streets.
	Alongside these measures relating to the possession and supply of articles used in Serious and Organised Crime, this Act will also strengthen the Serious Crime Prevention Order regime introduced in the Serious Crime Act 2007, to further prevent and disrupt the operations of these groups including those who seek to carry out immigration offences. The introduction of Interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders will ensure law enforcement partners can take immediate action in the absence of a conviction to prevent criminal activity before it occurs.
	The Act also amends the counter-terrorism port powers (Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 and Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019) to allow the police to take DNA samples and fingerprints (biometrics) at a port in Scotland, bringing Scotland into alignment with the position across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Serious and Organised Crime and other threats