Mark Forster Email & Phone Number

London, England, United Kingdom

I deliver training to law enforcement agencies and industry partners in specialist fraud and money laundering investigations.

Delivering training in Fraud and Money Laundering Investigations to UK policing, NCA and Law Enforcement Agency professionals.

Detective Inspector

Led a team of 21 financial specialists, I directed and managed serious fraud and money laundering investigations. I lead complex intelligence gathering drawn from covert and overt operations and manage sensitive information. I have secured numerous convictions, cash seizures, restraint and confiscations and developed innovative strategies to manage continually evolving offending. Managing a significant workload, I utilised advanced covert techniques and tactics to capture and develop intelligence, gathering evidence through the use of intrusive and non-intrusive surveillance. Establishing the veracity of cases, I ensured compliance with the Regulation of Investigative Powers Act (RIPA) and Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) requirements. I work in proactive liaison with financial institutions, partner and government agencies and business establishments, to aid the detection and prevention of financial crime and disrupt organised crime groups engaged in money laundering. I also served as the CoLP lead on numerous projects run by the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), leading the organisational contribution to national projects, working with HMRC, Border Force, FCA and other non-law enforcement partners with a particular focus on pursuit activity.

Detective Inspector

Leading a staff across various teams, I directed proactive and reactive investigations from serious crime to volume offending, ensuring delivery of effective investigations, evidence gathering and forensic management. Developing operations, I influenced at senior levels, successfully mitigating emerging risk and threat and actively developing team expertise and performance.

Detective Inspector

This unit served as the single point of contact for the CoLP receipt of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), leading a specialist team, I drove the investigation of serious and complex fraud reported by multinational corporations, banks, high wealth individuals and government departments. Delivering exacting quality standards against stringent legal time frames, I liaised with national and international law enforcement and industry partners, to drive intelligence sharing and development of best practice to identify opportunities to disrupt online crime.

Detective Sergeant

Within this national unit, I directed investigations into organised payment fraud. I led the continuous improvement of services, building operational capacity, streamlining activity and ensuring effective intelligence sharing with partner agencies. Ensuring compliance with strict legislative and regulatory frameworks, I assessed information from varied sources and led on the targeting and conviction of serious offenders to contribute to a significant reduction in fraud activity across the UK. During my tenure, this team secured significant success with 23 organised crime groups disrupted, £7.23m of savings to the banking industry secured and £519k of assets forfeited.

Detective Sergeant

Serving at the instigation of this unit, I developed a proactive and focused approach to mitigate insurance fraud. I led insurance fraud investigations across England and Wales, utilising robust investigative techniques alongside proactive and disruptive tactics to challenge crime.

Detective Sergeant

I investigated critical offences including homicide, robbery and sexual offending. I employed advanced analytical techniques to secure the identification of prolific offenders and utilised the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES) to source and assess critical evidence.

Detective Sergeant

Leading a team in the investigation of diverse offending, I ensured the effective prioritisation of objectives, leading the most serious cases and crime reduction initiatives. Responding to major incidents, I guided on scene management to ensure evidence was secured and that witnesses, suspects and forensic opportunities were identified.

Detective Constable

I was tasked with the recruitment, handling, tasking and management of Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) ensuring full compliance with all legal and ethical requirements. This was a highly self-driven role that required a diverse range of skills including the ability to motivate others, exceptional communications skills, both written and verbal, flexibility and resourcefulness and the skill to think calmly and clearly in even the most demanding of circumstances. I exercised resilience and patience in this role alongside a keen understanding of cultural differences to establish and support relationships and develop opportunities in the pursuit of mitigating significant offending.

Detective Constable

I investigated cases from fraud and acquisitive crime through to violent crime and drug offences. Managing a significant caseload, I ensured resilient initial planning and strategy setting, driving lines of enquiry, completing often complex case papers and presentation of evidence at crown court.

Police Constable

Working as part of a response team, I was tasked with the management of critical incidents and a wide range of operational activities. I brought an assured approach, demonstrating the ability to manage a diversity of issues, influence widely and to process information quickly and accurately.