In its , the intelligence-led agency - formerly the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit - revealed details of two major cyber crime cases in the year that resulted in arrests.

SOCA led the UK end of a long term FBI undercover operation against online criminal forum DarkMarket, one of the largest websites dealing in stolen financial information such as credit card data.

The operation led to the arrest of 57 suspects, including 12 in the UK, plus arrests in Turkey, Germany, and the US. One prosecution was successfully brought against Nigerian national Adewale Taiwo, who received five years for conspiracy to defraud.

The report revealed that the successful operation saved $70m in potential losses. SOCA had so far recovered over 16,000 compromised cards, with forensic work still underway.

Soca also brought to trial the high-profile attempted £229 million bank robbery of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in London, one of the biggest bank heists ever attempted.