The Ministry of Defence has approached the security and intelligence agencies, as well as banks and individuals, over the theft of a laptop computer holding the personal details of 600,000 Royal Navy, Royal Marine and RAF recruits, and of other people wanting to join the services, officials revealed yesterday.
Concern about the potential threat to the individuals, including Muslims who may have inquired about careers in the military, led the MoD to contact the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, Jtac. The centre, which includes officers from MI5, MI6, and the police, assessed the threat as low, according to defence officials.
– The Guardian
A British soldier has been killed and five others injured by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today.
Their vehicle was hit by a mine about 3km north-east of Musa Qala yesterday, the MoD said. The dead soldier was attached to the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. His next of kin have been informed.
“The casualties were evacuated by helicopter to the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) medical facility at Camp Bastion and Kandahar airfield,” the MoD said in a statement. “Sadly one of the soldiers was pronounced dead at the scene.”
– The Guardian
Private security guards have been secretly hired to spy on illegal immigrants in an apparent breach of the law, a leaked Home Office document has revealed.
The security guards will take part in “reconnaissance” missions to find suspected foreign criminals, illegal migrants and failed asylum seekers, targeted for arrest and deportation.
They will be given access to sensitive police intelligence on suspected illegal immigrants, and help to draw up intelligence reports and risk assessments, according to the document prepared by the Border and Immigration Agency.
– The Times