Criminals involved in drugs and fraud continue to be disrupted by Police Scotland, a report published today, shows.
Officers seized drugs, with an estimated street value of around £5 million during operations across the country between September and December 2022. Cannabis, cocaine, heroin and amphetamine were recovered and a significant number of arrests were made through pro-active activity including:
• The arrest of a man following the discovery of a cannabis cultivation at a property in the East End of Glasgow. The plants were worth almost £300,000.
• The seizure of £1 million of cannabis plants at a building in Falkirk – two men were arrested
• Two vehicles were stopped in separate operations in Aberdeenshire and 10kg and 15kg of cannabis were seized
• During the period covered by the report officers seized two industrial pill presses – capable of producing millions of street Valium tablets.
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor QPM said:
“Drugs and those involved in supplying them blight our communities. The report highlights the hard work of our officers to disrupt this activity right across Scotland and our commitment to working with others such as the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to make it even more difficult for them to exploit vulnerable people.
“Our important contribution to helping to prevent the harm caused by drugs is shown in the report. Naloxone has now been administered more than 100 times by our officers. Our national roll-out programme is almost complete and will soon see 12,500 officers equipped with the lifesaving nasal spray treatment.
Police Scotland’s 2022-23 Quarter 3 Performance Report also outlines the case of five men found guilty of a number of money laundering offences, which took place in England, with the criminal proceeds being fraudulently moved into a solicitors account and then to others.
Deputy Chief Constable Taylor added: “The number of fraud offences, especially those with a cyber element, continues to rise. These significant enforcement outcomes underline our commitment to protecting people in public, private and online spaces. Our Policing in a Digital World programme seeks to ensure we continue build the tools and skills to keep people safe online.”
