SCDEA SHIFTS OPERATIONS UPWARDS AND OUTWARDS TO REDUCE HARM FROM SERIOUS ORGANISED CRIME
More serious organised criminals arrested than ever before and the targeting of high-purity drug seizures overseas are highlighted today by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) in its annual report for last year.
The SCDEA cited the figures as evidence of a shift in focus towards ‘hitting serious organised crime where it hurts most to reduce harm on communities'.
A total of 67 individuals involved in serious organised crime were arrested as a result of SCDEA investigations - nearly 50 per cent above target and the largest such total ever arrested by the SCDEA in a single year.
The key highlights of the 2009-10 report, including the Agency's contribution to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Strategy Letting Our Communities Flourish, include:
- 136 criminals arrested, 67 of which were level 3 criminals (those involved in serious organised crime);
- £22 million worth of criminal assets identified for restraint - 158% over the annual target of £8.5 million;
- 105 kilograms of Class A drugs seized with an estimated street value of over £21 million, below target but including 51 kilograms of high purity cocaine which would have been bulked to over 400 kg if they had reached Scotland;
- 1.6 tonnes of Class B drugs, mostly cannabis, with a street value of almost £5 million;
- 29 individuals arrested by the SCDEA sentenced to a combined 160 years in prison, and;
- the establishment of the Scottish Intelligence Coordination Unit (SICU).
Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Meldrum, Director General, SCDEA said:
"The type of arrests we made last year demonstrates a gradual shift in our approach that has been gathering momentum for some time. Five years ago, only one in five of the arrests we made were individuals directly involved in serious organised crime. In 2009-10, nearly half of all arrests were of individuals at this level.
"The serious organised crime mapping information, and the establishment of the SICU, are central to this shift. That has enabled us to identify the individuals and criminal groups that are causing the most harm - and target them. The top 20 most harmful groups in Scotland are all now under active investigation by a coalition of law enforcement agencies.
"Turning intelligence into action has helped us to target the right people with the right resources where we can hit serious organised crime where it hurts most. Often that will mean high-level arrests and the seizure of drugs. It is also demonstrated by the everyday disruption that a whole range of organisations inside and outside law enforcement are now causing to these criminals - from routine vehicle checks to the confiscation of their assets.
"Yesterday, we were primarily getting the foot soldiers of organised crime - important in providing communities with respite but less effective in disrupting a network's operations. Today, it's the captains and lieutenants. We are now very firmly focused on taking down the generals. For them, that's what tomorrow is going to bring."
Within the overall drug seizure figures, 51 kilograms of high purity cocaine with a street value of £18 million were seized by law enforcement agencies abroad - acting on intelligence supplied by the SCDEA. By the time such high-purity drugs would have reached Scotland, and using a conservative estimate, 51 kilograms would have been adulterated to make approximately 408 kilograms - or at least 408,000 ‘street deals'.
Gordon Meldrum added:
"Although seizures of Class A drugs during 2009-10 are not on the same overall scale as the exceptional record level we recovered in the preceding year, this masks the increasing impact we are making in intercepting drugs closer to their point of production.
"Every kilogram of cocaine bound for Scotland but seized abroad in a production country, such as Colombia, is roughly equivalent to around 8 kilograms in Scotland. It is often even more when you take into account how much the drug is adulterated by callous criminals to maximise their profits.
"By sharing intelligence with law enforcement agencies around the world we can stop serious organised crime groups - who are targeting Scotland - firmly in their tracks. Rather than wait for these drugs to flood our streets, we are increasingly going directly to the point of production and providing partners in those countries with our intelligence so that they can intercept these individuals on our behalf."
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill added:
"This report provides more evidence of the significant progress that is being made in tackling serious crime in Scotland.
"It is clear that the work done by the SCDEA is helping take gangsters off our streets, disrupting criminal networks and bringing respite to decent and hardworking people. The SCDEA are to be congratulated on their work - however, this is very much a work in progress as all law enforcement agencies work together to ensure the net continues closes more tightly around our most dangerous criminals.
"The arrest of more serious organised criminals than ever before sends out a clear message to the gangsters - the police know who you are, they know what you're up to, and they are determined to bring you to justice."
A copy of the SCDEA annual report is available from the SCDEA website www.scdea.police.uk