Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID)

The nature of crime is changing, and the scale and complexity of organised crime groups is growing, driven by global movements of people and threats from new technologies. The criminal justice system must adapt and evolve to meet the challenges that these changes pose. The CPS Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate (SEOCID) ensures that we have the resilience, expertise and flexibility in our staff and our organisational structure to best respond to new and changing areas of complex crime.

SEOCID is comprised of three divisions: The International, London and South-East Division and Regional and Wales Division, which are made up of specialist multidisciplinary teams dealing with complex organised crime and economic crime casework, and the Proceeds of Crime Division, which works to recover ill-gotten gains from criminal activity. Our International and Extradition teams sit within the International, London and South-East Division. A unit dealing with the most complex and high-risk child sexual abuse cases forms part of the Regional and Wales Division.

Proceeds of Crime: Notice to Victims of the Lantian Gerui Fraud

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has commenced civil recovery proceedings in respect of property which has been seized in the UK from Yadi Zhang (also known as Zhimin Qian) (Zhang) and Jian Wen (Wen), and additional assets.

Serious Economic and Organised Crime Mission Statement

Read our Mission Statement

International Strategy

Read the CPS strategy for our international work

Who's who in SEOCID

Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Proceeds of Crime Division

Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Regional and Wales Division

Lionel was called to the Bar in 1996 and prosecuted and defended before joining the CPS in 2005 as a rape and domestic violence specialist.

In 2007, Lionel was appointed a District Crown Prosecutor with responsibility for three boroughs in London, and in 2009, a Senior District Crown Prosecutor with responsibility for one of the six districts in London.

During this period Lionel was also the pan-London lead for Domestic Violence and for the Olympics in 2012. He has a passion for championing justice for victims and witnesses and has previously written and delivered a CPD-approved training course on victimless prosecutions.

In 2014, Lionel was appointed an acting Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in London, and in 2015, the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands region overseeing the Complex Casework and RASSO units.

At this time, Lionel also led the only national cross-government agency project on Domestic Abuse which developed and successfully implemented the DA Best Practice Framework across the country.

In 2019, Lionel spent time as Deputy Head of the national Specialist Fraud Division and the following year, was appointed the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South. Lionel is also the national lead for Hate Crime and Disproportionality, roles which see him working in strong partnership with the NPCC, local forces, CPS leads, the voluntary sector and community groups to improve the criminal justice system response in these thematic areas.

In 2026, Lionel joined Regional and Wales Division as their Chief Crown Prosecutor.

Joanne Jakymec, Chief Crown Prosecutor, International, London and South-East Division

Joanne Jakymec is the Chief Crown Prosecutor of the International, London and South East Division.

Joanne qualified as a barrister in 1998 and joined HM Customs and Excise Solicitors Office two years later. She went on to become a Senior Prosecutor and Team Leader in the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office Serious Organised Crime Division.

In 2011, Joanne was appointed Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor and Head of Organised Crime in the CPS. She was responsible for the prosecution of serious organised crime investigated by the National Crime Agency and other law enforcement partners in England and Wales.

Joanne has also worked in CPS London as a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, leading on disclosure, advocacy and the prosecution of Crown Court cases. In June 2017, Joanne became the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex. She became Head of the International Justice and Organised Crime Division in June 2021.

The International, London, and South East Division (ILSED) of the Serious Economic and Organised Crime Directorate (SEOCID) is headed by Jo Jakymec. This division is responsible for prosecuting serious economic and organised crime in London and the South East.

The Serious Economic and Organised Crime casework is handled within two units, led by Rose-Marie Franton and Laura Tams.

In addition, the division includes an International Unit, headed by Sarah Dineley, and an Extradition Unit, headed by John Sheehan.

The International Unit has a network of specialist prosecutors deployed overseas in countries of strategic importance to CPS domestic casework, working on mutual legal assistance, extradition and asset recovery matters. The team also provides a centre of expertise for the CPS in all aspects of international engagement, co-operation and evidence-gathering.

Rose-Marie Franton, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Serious Economic and Organised Crime in ILSED

Rose-Marie started her career prosecuting for the CPS in St Albans, gaining a wide range of experience before joining what was later to become the Counter Terrorism Division in London in 2004, where she prosecuted terrorism, race hatred, and Official Secrets Act cases. In 2009 she was appointed Unit Head of the Counter Terrorism Division.

In 2012 she joined the Organised Crime Team to lead the ‘phone hacking’ prosecutions that arose from the investigation into the News of the World and was appointed Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in May 2017.

In September 2021 Rose-Marie was seconded to roles including Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in CPS London South and CPS Mersey-Cheshire. She also acted up as Chief Crown Prosecutor, following which she worked as Head of the Directors of Legal Services Team.

Laura Tams, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Serious Economic and Organised Crime in ILSED

Laura joined the CPS in 2007 as a legal trainee in CPS London before becoming a Crown Prosecutor.

In 2011 she became the Legal Manager for Croydon and Kingston boroughs. She joined the Organised Crime Division in 2013 as a specialist prosecutor, where she prosecuted cases arising from the ‘phone hacking scandal’.

She later set up the Inquiry Legal team leading the CPS response to the Undercover Policing Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual abuse.

In 2020 She became the Head of Legal Services in CPS headquarters. Laura Joined SEOCID in May 2024 as the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with responsibility for the London & South East Division.

John Sheehan, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Head of Extradition and temporary Head of International

John Sheehan John leads the CPS Extradition and International Units within SEOCID. In these roles, he is responsible for international co-operation including the obtaining of evidence from abroad for use in domestic prosecutions, the extradition of individuals wanted for prosecution into and out of England and Wales, and the team of UK liaison prosecutors who facilitate this around the globe.

As a government lawyer since 2006, John’s background is in complex criminal casework, criminal justice policy, and inspection of legal services. He has held leadership positions at HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, the Serious Fraud Office as well as the CPS.

Prior to that, John was a solicitor and partner in a law firm specialising in human rights and social justice.

Jason Putman, Head of Area Operations

Jason joined the CPS in 1988 as an Administrative Assistant and in 1999 became the Area Business Manager for CPS Dorset.

In 2011 he moved to the role of Business Change and Delivery Manager for CPS Wessex which covered Dorset, Hampshire & Isle of Wight and Wiltshire. In 2015 he became the Senior Business Manager for the CPS London Magistrates’ Unit and in 2016 joined the CPS Operations Directorate as a Project Manager.

Jason has been an Area Business Manager/Head of Area Operations since 2018, first for International Justice and Organised Crime Division and later for the International, London and South-East Division of SEOCID.

The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division is headed by Adrian Foster and supported by Debbie Price. This division is responsible for ensuring criminals cannot financially benefit from their crimes by freezing assets before conviction (restraint) and post-conviction confiscation and compensation. In addition the division can take on civil recovery.

Debbie Price, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Proceeds of Crime Division

Debbie Price Debbie is the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Proceeds of Crime Division and is responsible for the day to day operational delivery.

She prosecuted Organised Crime for seven years before leading the Home Office’s UK Central Authority (UKCA), overseeing incoming and outgoing requests for Mutual Legal Assistance.

As a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor she has led CPS Extradition and International Units and has recently completed a secondment as Deputy Director in the NCA’s National Economic Crime Centre where she was Head of the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.

Olivia Rose, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Proceeds of Crime Division

Olivia joined the Proceeds of Crime Division as Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in July 2024. Prior to this appointment, Olivia was the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Thames and Chiltern with responsibility for the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit and the Magistrates’ Courts Team, a role she held for five years.

Before taking up that role in 2019, Olivia worked for the Government Legal Department as a Senior Advisory Lawyer, initially at the Department of Work and Pensions and then at the Cabinet Office working on Brexit ‘no deal’ contingency planning.

Olivia was previously a Senior Legal Advisor with the Attorney General’s Office working in the Public Law and Litigation team, and prior to this worked for the CPS for nine years in the East of England - three years as a Senior Crown Prosecutor and then six years as a District Crown Prosecutor.

Olivia is the Crown Prosecution Service’s national lead for stalking and harassment and the deputy lead for domestic abuse, working with the various local leads across the country to share knowledge and identify themes and trends, so that the CPS can continue to secure justice for victims and take steps to prevent repeat offending.

Head of Area Operations

The Regional and Wales Division of the Serious Economic and Organised Crime Directorate (SEOCID) is headed by Hannah von Dadelszen. This division is responsible for the prosecution of serious economic and organised crime in East Anglia, the Midlands, South West, the North and Wales.

Casework is split within two regions; the North, and Midlands & Wales.

The division includes a specialist Organised Child and Sexual Abuse Unit (OCSAU).

James Bolton Smith – Temporary Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor and Head of Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit

James has worked for the CPS since he qualified as barrister in 2008. Initially specialising in the prosecution of serious sexual offending and gang crime in London, in 2012 he moved to the Organised Crime Division as a Specialist Prosecutor.

In 2014 James returned to CPS London as Head of Casework Quality and in 2016 he was appointed to lead the Crown Court team for North West London.

James has been with the Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit since 2023, first as a Unit Head and latterly as temporary Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor.

Dean Quick - Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Regional and Wales Division (Midlands and Wales)

Dean Quick has worked for 31 years in Criminal Justice. He trained and qualified as a solicitor working as a legal advisor in His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) for six and a half years, working in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot Magistrates’ Courts in South Wales.

He joined the Crown Prosecution Service in 2000 and was promoted in 2005, to District Crown Prosecutor, where he was responsible for managing regional Magistrates' and Crown Court Teams for 16 years in Wales.

In November 2021, he was promoted to Senior District Crown Prosecutor and Head of Complex Casework for CPS Wales. He headed the Crown Court Unit for Wales before his appointment as temporary DCCP for SEOCID Regional and Wales Division in November 2024.

Robin Weyell - Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, Regional and Wales Division (North)

Robin has been with the CPS since 2019, first as a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor in the East of England then, from January 2023, as Head of International before moving to his current role in October 2024.

He has a 26-year career in the civil service focusing primarily on investigations law, organised crime, and the use of investigatory powers. He started off as an Investigation Legal Adviser for HM Customs in Manchester before moving to the (then) Independent Police Complaints Commission where he focused on police malpractice and corruption.

Robin was Head of Covert and International law at the National Crime Agency before being appointed as the first legal adviser to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner office where he supported the Commissioner overseeing the covert work of the UK’s intelligence agencies. Before joining the civil service, he was a defence solicitor.

Donna Giles - Temporary Head of Area Operations (Regional and Wales Division)

Donna joined the CPS as a Casework Assistant after working in the private sector from college.

She has worked in a variety of roles within CPS South East Area in the operational side of the business, including Senior Operational Business Manager.

Donna’s achievements have included: development of the Paralegal Officer role; development of the Casework Assistant Academy for new starters; and co-ordinating the South East Area response to the national disorder during the summer of 2024.

Donna now works as temporary Area Business Manager in Regional and Wales Division, with responsibilities including people and financial management, strategic planning, and performance monitoring.