CASE STUDIES
BULK ACQUISITION
Case study A9/1
MI5
Identify269
Counter-terrorism
In 2015, intelligence indicated that a number of individuals had travelled to Europe in
order to conduct attacks in European capital cities. The names of the individuals were
not known. MI5 was able to use bulk acquisition data to identify one individual who had
travelled to the UK and then on to another European country. MI5 liaised with overseas
intelligence agencies, and the information it provided assisted security agencies in
locating the individual just two weeks after MI5 received the initial piece of intelligence.
Case study A9/2
MI5
Identify
Counter-terrorism: hoax threat
In this 2014 incident, a threat was made by telephone against an overseas embassy in
London. The use of bulk acquisition data enabled MI5 swiftly to identify the user of the
telephone as a known hoaxer. MI5 passed this information on to the police and embassy
staff, so avoiding unnecessary and expensive police action and disruption to the work of
the embassy.
Case study A9/3
MI5
Identify
Counter-terrorism
In 2015 MI5 analysis of bulk acquisition data identified a group of individuals in the UK
with links to known extremists who aspired to conduct attacks. This analysis enabled
MI5 quickly to focus investigative effort to mitigate the threat. MI5 worked with the police
to disrupt the individuals concerned. Given the high threat posed by the links to the
extremists, MI5 believes that without using bulk acquisition data it would not have been
able to manage the risk so effectively.
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In each case study I have highlighted the nature of the principal work involved, by reference to
the SIAs’ Structured Description of Intelligence Work (Annex 4).
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