to: foi@nca.gov.uk
Dear FOI Officer,
I am submitting this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
I seek disclosure of any records held by the National Crime Agency, or its predecessor bodies including the former National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), relating to:
The disappearance of aircraft Piper Lance, registration 9H‑ABU, on 3 December 1995, during a flight from Djerba (Tunisia) to Malta, on which my brother Desmond Boomer was a passenger.
Specifically, I request access to:
- Any intelligence reports, alerts, or communications received or generated by NCIS or INTERPOL London concerning the aircraft, its occupants, or the circumstances of its disappearance.
- Any correspondence between NCIS/INTERPOL London and foreign authorities (including Malta, Libya, Tunisia, Italy, or ICAO) relating to this incident.
- Any records of international liaison, information exchange, or requests for assistance.
- Any archived files, logs, or summaries referencing 9H‑ABU, its passengers, or the search and investigation activities conducted in December 1995.
- Any documents transferred to the NCA from NCIS that relate to this case.
If the NCA does not hold the requested information, please confirm whether:
- The records were ever held by NCIS or INTERPOL London
- They were transferred to another authority
- They were destroyed, and if so, under what retention schedule
Legal Justification
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am entitled to request recorded information held by a public authority. This includes:
- Section 1(1) – the right to be informed whether information is held and to have it communicated.
- Section 16 – the duty to provide advice and assistance, including guidance on refining or redirecting the request if necessary.
- Section 46 Code of Practice – obligations regarding the management, retention, and retrieval of historical records.
Given that the disappearance occurred in 1995, any operational sensitivity is now more than 30 years old, and therefore most exemptions under Sections 23, 24, 26, 27, 31, and 40 should be either time‑expired, non‑applicable, or subject to a public‑interest test favouring disclosure.
This request concerns a fatal aviation disappearance involving a UK family, and disclosure is sought for legitimate personal, historical, and investigative reasons.
Format
I request that all information be provided electronically, preferably in PDF format.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Boomer
21 The Moorings
KIllyleagh
Northern Ireland
Email: mark.boomer@9habu.com