These assessments have made clear the threat posed by immigration crime and the SDEA and Scottish Police Service have adopted a close joint working relationship with the UK Immigration Service in an effort to counter this.An example of the impact of this joint working was highlighted at the start of October 2004 following an operation in which the SDEA led a multi-agency taskforce (which included the UK Immigration Service, Lothian and Borders Police, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise, the Department of Work and Pensions and the Inland Revenue) to target the criminal activities of an organised criminal network involved in harbouring and facilitating illegal immigrants throughout Scotland...