Long-form Investigative Title Goes Here

As a member of the policing community, you may encounter cases of what’s referred to as foreign interference. It’s important that you understand what this is and what you need to do if you suspect that foreign interference is involved in a case you’re investigating.

Foreign interference is an activity conducted for, on behalf of, or for the benefit of a foreign power that interferes with UK interests through actions which are either misleading, deceptive, coercive, or criminal. It may include an action undertaken for or on behalf of a foreign power to intimidate or harm people based in the UK. Often, these actions will have a political motivation to control any form of dissent or opposition.

It may be aimed at silencing criticism a foreign power from individuals living here in the UK. For it to be foreign interference, a foreign power, for example, a foreign state, regime or government body must be involved either directly, indirectly or because the activity is intended to benefit them. You won’t be expected to know for certain whether a state is involved. It can happen to anybody, regardless of their nationality.

Foreign interference can take many forms, in person or online. Examples include stalking, harassment, hacking, assaults, kidnapping, threatening, forcing or coercing the victim to return to their country of origin.

It might include malicious disinformation campaigns conducted online or threatening to detain or mistreat family members in the victim’s country of origin.

What is clear is that foreign interference is a complex issue, which could often include an online aspect. Not only does foreign interference impact the victim, it undermines our interests and institutions as a nation, our political system and our rights, and ultimately could impact our national security.

Because you’re likely to be the first police contact for a victim of possible foreign interference, it’s essential that you’re able to recognize the signs and what action you must take.

While completing your initial investigation in the normal way, including taking the necessary steps to safeguard the victim as appropriate, ask yourself the following: Is there a foreign link?

Who’s the victim? What are they experiencing?

Has the victim raised concerns that a foreign power or somebody working on behalf of a foreign power is responsible for the offense?

Is the victim involved in publicly criticizing a foreign power, or are they a member of a minority group who may be perceived as a threat by a foreign power? Is the victim’s occupation relevant? For example, are they journalist working on stories criticizing a foreign power or a lawyer who is representing clients who might be accused of political crimes abroad?

Is the victim claiming that they’re being followed, either physically or online, or being pressured into informing on members of their community?

Any of these could be a sign of foreign interference. While there may be an innocent explanation, if you have any suspicion that it could be foreign interference, report it. You know when something isn’t right, so always trust your instincts. An example of this could be person M, who was a refugee from a foreign power with an oppressive regime. M had become a prominent political activist organizing community events and regularly publishing content online that highlighted human rights abuses in her home country.

Person L, an embassy official of the foreign power, was in the UK attending a conference under the direction of the foreign power.

L visited M and showed her footage of her relatives being interrogated back home. He warned her that her relatives may be physically harmed if her criticism of the foreign power didn’t stop. This would be a case of foreign interference.

Another example could be person W. A UK citizen from birth and owning a small catering business, W was strongly opposed to the current foreign power of his parents’ birth country and helped to organize demonstrations locally in support of the opposition party. He became aware that he was becoming the target of an online campaign, alleging that his business did not use religiously compliant ingredients.

His business premises were vandalized with graffiti, making the same false claim. Very quickly, he began to lose money and became unpopular in his community.

W suspected person Y, a locally elected official of the governing party in the parents’ birth country. He’d become upset with him and despite being overseas, had decided to target W online as a way to stop his political activism. Again, this would be another case of foreign interference.

Not all allegations of power involvement may be possible to progress, but reporting incidents and concerns provides valuable information.

As a member of the policing community, you know your area and community. You know when something isn’t quite right.

If you have any concern, no matter how small, about foreign interference, trust your instincts, contact your regional counterterrorism unit, and submit an intelligence report to them. You won’t be wasting their time. Your report could be the missing link.

Above all, trust your instincts. Your actions could help combat illegal foreign power activity.

Thank you for helping to keep our communities safe.As a member of the policing community, you may encounter cases of what’s referred to as foreign interference. It’s important that you understand what this is and what you need to do if you suspect that foreign interference is involved in a case you’re investigating.

Foreign interference is an activity conducted for, on behalf of, or for the benefit of a foreign power that interferes with UK interests through actions which are either misleading, deceptive, coercive, or criminal. It may include an action undertaken for or on behalf of a foreign power to intimidate or harm people based in the UK. Often, these actions will have a political motivation to control any form of dissent or opposition.

It may be aimed at silencing criticism a foreign power from individuals living here in the UK. For it to be foreign interference, a foreign power, for example, a foreign state, regime or government body must be involved either directly, indirectly or because the activity is intended to benefit them. You won’t be expected to know for certain whether a state is involved. It can happen to anybody, regardless of their nationality.

Foreign interference can take many forms, in person or online. Examples include stalking, harassment, hacking, assaults, kidnapping, threatening, forcing or coercing the victim to return to their country of origin.

It might include malicious disinformation campaigns conducted online or threatening to detain or mistreat family members in the victim’s country of origin.

What is clear is that foreign interference is a complex issue, which could often include an online aspect. Not only does foreign interference impact the victim, it undermines our interests and institutions as a nation, our political system and our rights, and ultimately could impact our national security.

Because you’re likely to be the first police contact for a victim of possible foreign interference, it’s essential that you’re able to recognize the signs and what action you must take.

While completing your initial investigation in the normal way, including taking the necessary steps to safeguard the victim as appropriate, ask yourself the following: Is there a foreign link?

Who’s the victim? What are they experiencing?

Has the victim raised concerns that a foreign power or somebody working on behalf of a foreign power is responsible for the offense?

Is the victim involved in publicly criticizing a foreign power, or are they a member of a minority group who may be perceived as a threat by a foreign power? Is the victim’s occupation relevant? For example, are they journalist working on stories criticizing a foreign power or a lawyer who is representing clients who might be accused of political crimes abroad?

Is the victim claiming that they’re being followed, either physically or online, or being pressured into informing on members of their community?

Any of these could be a sign of foreign interference. While there may be an innocent explanation, if you have any suspicion that it could be foreign interference, report it. You know when something isn’t right, so always trust your instincts. An example of this could be person M, who was a refugee from a foreign power with an oppressive regime. M had become a prominent political activist organizing community events and regularly publishing content online that highlighted human rights abuses in her home country.

Person L, an embassy official of the foreign power, was in the UK attending a conference under the direction of the foreign power.

L visited M and showed her footage of her relatives being interrogated back home. He warned her that her relatives may be physically harmed if her criticism of the foreign power didn’t stop. This would be a case of foreign interference.

Another example could be person W. A UK citizen from birth and owning a small catering business, W was strongly opposed to the current foreign power of his parents’ birth country and helped to organize demonstrations locally in support of the opposition party. He became aware that he was becoming the target of an online campaign, alleging that his business did not use religiously compliant ingredients.

His business premises were vandalized with graffiti, making the same false claim. Very quickly, he began to lose money and became unpopular in his community.

W suspected person Y, a locally elected official of the governing party in the parents’ birth country. He’d become upset with him and despite being overseas, had decided to target W online as a way to stop his political activism. Again, this would be another case of foreign interference.

Not all allegations of power involvement may be possible to progress, but reporting incidents and concerns provides valuable information.

As a member of the policing community, you know your area and community. You know when something isn’t quite right.

If you have any concern, no matter how small, about foreign interference, trust your instincts, contact your regional counterterrorism unit, and submit an intelligence report to them. You won’t be wasting their time. Your report could be the missing link.

Above all, trust your instincts. Your actions could help combat illegal foreign power activity.

Thank you for helping to keep our communities safe.