CLUES TO THE TREASURE: THE IMMF IN ACTION
There's a lot going at at the Ministry of Magic these days, and its not all catching criminals. The International Magical Mystery Force, or IMMF for short, was formed two years ago, the brainchild of a young magical archaeologist working with the Ministry of Magic named Hugh Kenrick, and a collaboration with several departments at the Ministry. It's made headlines a few times, and this reporter was able to sit down with Kenrick and some of his superiors to learn more about this organization, and how its vastly different from other 'mysterious' departments.
While working on a case of recovering a specific magical artifact long lost, Kenrick found that magical artifacts and phenomena were often overlooked by other departments. Their teams were ill-equipped for the exploratory work, investigation and recovery of magic associated with strange creatures and happenings and magic left over from ancient cultures. Law Enforcement organizations had little experience in anything but criminal investigation, and had no time to spare for such ventures. Commercial ventures had difficulty in dealing with international law concerning magic, and boundaries, and their motives were often suspect. So, under an organization designed by Kenrick, a special, cross-functional set of field teams was created to manage special projects, and combine the talents of magical researchers, recovery specialists, investigators, and preservationists.
Its official charter is “To further the non law-enforcement investigation, exploration, magical recovery, and study of contemporary and ancient magical cultures.”
The organization was placed under the overall control of the Ministry of International Magical Cooperation, since its agents often operate far from the UK, and have to obtain special permission to operate in those zones. Recovered magic, devices, and other treasures are then returned to the Ministry for study or preservation by the appropriate existing agency.
Kenrick himself is too junior to head the entire department, but other more senior Ministry officials fill important administrative posts, and control the budgets. Instead, Kenrick supervises a number of regional team leads that operate worldwide. An inventor himself, Kenrick has also introduced some new spells and devices to help the team in their efforts.
Minister of International Magical Cooperation Clifford Sloan-Underwood has brushed off criticism that the group is a bunch of high-paid mercenaries stealing treasure from lost tombs.
“In just two years, the IMMF teams have recovered dozens of lost magical spells and devices, some that were lost by other departments, and solved baffling cases of magical nature, that have also led to new cures for magical maladies. The team has also assisted in operations with other Magical Ministries, leading to greater cooperation, and peaceful sharing of these magical technologies. The
Tiara of Peace, for example, was successfully recovered on behalf of the Japanese Ministry of Magic, and this led directly to the signing of a new magical alliance between our nations.”
In the same interview, Kenrick detailed some 27 successful operations carried out in the first two years, by himself and several other team leaders. The team has also recently helped the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement track down black magic marketers, and was instrumental in preventing a coup attempt against the Minister of Magic in tiny Montenegro, in which Kenrick himself received a medal of appreciation.
The teams are hand picked for every assignment, and equipment and logistics is carried out by the IMMF’s special support lab. Although not chartered for law enforcement, the team often cooperates with Aurors and their contemporaries around the world.
Tuesday 3/16/10 @ 03:28 PM
Asimov was tracked to St. Petersburg’s famous Magical History Museum, according to an Auror Department spokesperson, where a small team fought and killed the master criminal after a fierce fight. His motive for breaking into the museum are still unclear, but he was a noted collector of magical items, and may have been attempting to steal one or more of them to sell on the black market. 
Asimov is best known for his participation in numerous atrocities during and after the Second Wizarding War, including the Ministry Purge and death of Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. A lone wolf in practice, he was a close adherent of Voldemort during that period, but later went back to conducting independent criminal activities. He was also responsible for 4 deaths of Ministry Aurors that had attempted to capture him before his imprisonment, as well as injury to several more Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement officials.