The emphasis on fewer, high quality targets has contributed to the NCS's failure to disrupt as many organisations as hoped

NCS report

But a separate study, also issued on Friday, criticised the squad over its relatively low recruitment rates of female and ethnic minority officers.

The NCS - established in 1998 to combat organised crime in the UK - seized drugs with a street value of over �262m, including �162m of heroin and cocaine.

According to its annual report, the squad made 938 arrests in total and a further 174 arrests were made as a result of information supplied to police forces and customs.

Successful operations in the last year have included the conviction of the internet paedophile ring known as the Wonderland Club and wealthy businessman John Palmer for his part in a �30m timeshare fraud in Tenerife.

But despite the successes, the NCS failed to meet eight of its 18 targets last year.

The amount of criminal assets traced was �25.3m, compared with a target of �34.6m, and down from �32.95m the previous year.

'Macho'

A total of 206 criminal organisations involved in the supply of drugs were dismantled compared with the target of 214, which was also the number achieved the previous year.

The report said the emphasis on fewer, high quality targets had doubtless contributed to the organisation's failure to disrupt as many organisations as it had hoped.

"The target for disrupting criminal organisations continues to cause concern and was therefore reviewed recently," it added.

In a separate report the NCS was also said to be failing to recruit women and ethnic minority officers because it is still perceived as "macho, elitist and sexist".

The report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said it was fighting a losing battle to recruit ethnic minority and women.

Innovative

Just 11% of NCS officers are female - fewer than in other forces, according to the report.

And until one very recent promotion to superintendent there were also no women above chief inspector rank, it said.

Inspectors conceded that this was partly because other forces were reluctant to lose senior female officers to NCS, which recruits from the 43 forces in England and Wales on a secondment basis.

The report said the NCS faced even greater difficulties in its efforts to recruit from ethnic minorities.

There were no black or Asian officers above sergeant rank. In total, black and Asian ethnic minorities made up just 1.2% of the 1,300 NCS officers.

NCS priorities

Drugs Fraud Computer crime People trafficking

This was a "real problem", inspectors said, but they recognised difficulties faced in recruiting staff from these backgrounds and urged managers to implement innovative recruitment tactics.

In its annual report, the NCS admitted the results on the secondment of female and ethnic minority officers had been disappointing.

"The results are disappointing given the strenuous and continued efforts made by the Squad to attract applicants from these groups," it said.

The report also warned that the NCS was neglecting crime conducted at a regional level because most of its efforts were being directed at criminals who operate at national level.

Reorganisation was necessary to "fill the void" and ease the frustration felt by local police forces over the issue, it said.