for a prosecution (although the potential victims were warned and temporarily relocated).
Without bulk acquisition data, uncertainty about the risk to the victims might have led the
police to intervene sooner, without being able to gather the evidence needed for a
prosecution. In fact, for reasons explained to the Review team, no prosecution followed.
Case study A9/21
MI5
Action
Counter-proliferation
MI5 used analysis of bulk acquisition data in order quickly to identify individuals in the UK
linked to overseas weapons proliferation programmes. The Review team was shown
material indicating that MI5 used this information to take action to mitigate the risks.
Without the timely access to bulk acquisition data, MI5 believes that it would not have
been able as effectively to disrupt this proliferation activity.
Case study A9/22
MI5
Action
Counter-espionage
Bulk acquisition data was used to identify contact between an intelligence officer of a
potentially hostile state and a national of the same country in the UK. MI5 interviewed the
UK-based individual, obtaining valuable information and disrupting any hostile work on
the part of that person. MI5 told the Review team that, without the use of bulk acquisition
data, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for it to identify ongoing
communications between the individuals; even if it were possible, far more intrusive
techniques would have been required. The resulting interview would also have had less
of an impact, because MI5 would have been unable to disclose details of information
obtained through targeting without compromising intelligence sources. The interview
would therefore have been unlikely to produce the intelligence that was in fact obtained.
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