The Scottish Government has recently published details of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy annual review, saying that significant progress has been made in tackling crimes such as cybercrime, human trafficking and fraud.
The review reveals that police officers made nearly 3,000 arrests over the last year of people known to be involved in serious organised crime.
Almost £9 million was taken from individuals and companies involved in criminal activity, which brings the total seized through proceeds of crime legislation to more than £100 million since the law came in to force.
According to the Scottish Government, there are 196 known serious organised crime groups operating in Scotland, with two-thirds linked to seemingly legitimate businesses.
Nearly £7 million of counterfeit goods, including fake cigarettes, clothing, cosmetics and medicines, were seized in Scotland over the 12 month period.
“Tackling organised crime is about much more than police raids and court trials,” explained Justice Secretary Michael Matheson. “We need to work collectively, in our communities to tackle the harm caused by serious organised crime, to stop the cycle of deprivation and, crucially, give those involved in these activities the chance to turn their lives around. With the right education we can prevent people, including our young people, from being recruited into a life of crime.”
“We are making huge strides to detecting, disrupting and deterring serious organised crime in Scotland,” he added. “But we are not complacent and will continue to strengthen our approach, working together to make our communities safer and to help them flourish.”
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