Pubdate: 24 October 1999 Source: Sunday Times (UK) Copyright: 1999 Times Newspapers Ltd. Contact: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ Section: Letters Author: Vincent Harvey DRUG AGENCY BACKED IAM exceptionally disappointed that your reporter, Marcello Mega, did not check the basic facts before claiming (Crime fighters at war over new Scottish drug agency, News, last week) that the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) has "warned in writing that it would not support the new (drug enforcement) agency if its own independence was compromised". NCIS has never given such a warning, written or otherwise. It is not our view. To further suggest that we have at any time threatened to withhold our co-operation is also untrue and, indeed, offensive. Mr Mega has no evidence whatsoever to support this suggestion, as we have never made any such threat. When Mr Mega contacted NCIS, he was told, quite unequivocally, that we have worked very closely with those seeking to establish the new agency and would continue to provide law enforcement agencies in Scotland with whatever strategic and tactical intelligence they required to combat serious and organised crime. This would apply equally to any new agency as it does to our current police and customs partners. In failing to report our views your reporter has both maligned this organisation and trivialised an important issue. Vincent Harvey Director United Kingdom Division National Criminal Intelligence Service London SE11 - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart