This specialist police unit was set up in April 2002 as a two-year pilot to focus on the organised criminals behind the huge increases in counterfeit card fraud. The pilot was jointly funded by the banking industry and the Home Office and staffed by police personnel, fraud investigators and staff provided by APACS and its members.

After the pilot the banking industry agreed to sponsor the DCPCU in full, and to extend its focus from counterfeit fraud to encompass other categories of serious and organised cheque and plastic crime, including cash machine and ID fraud. The Unit now has an impressive record of success in identifying, investigating, arresting and prosecuting criminal gangs that perpetrate plastic card and cheque fraud.

Between April 2002 and April 2005 the Unit recovered more than 3,400 counterfeit cards, 39,600 compromised card numbers and 5,420 cheques earmarked for fraudulent use. This led to estimated savings to the industry in excess of £100 million. The DCPCU has also seized assets and recovered property, valued at £2.39 million, from raids on suspected criminals. In the same period the Unit arrested 306 suspects, 90 of whom have been charged.