This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Action to catch Scotland's Mr Bigs
19/05/2005
The crime world's 'Mr Bigs' were today warned that
action is being stepped up at a local, national and
international level to prevent Scotland becoming a safe
haven for their activities.
Speaking ahead of a parliamentary debate on serious and
organised crime, Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson and
Solicitor General Elish Angiolini warned those involved in
criminal networks that they will be traced and made to face
the consequences of their crimes.
Ms Jamieson will use the debate to show how an
increasingly sophisticated network of criminal justice
agencies are combining to break an increasingly
international web of crime - from Stranraer across the EU
to Slovenia and from Aberdeen through the drug routes to
Afghanistan.
Action includes:
- Using the new provisions in the Proceeds of Crime
Act (2002) to identify, freeze then seize more than
£5.4 million of criminals' ill-gotten gains, including
civil recovery procedures if there is insufficient
evidence for a criminal prosecution
- Turning criminals' seized assets back on them to
fund the recent 'Drug Dealers Don't Care' campaign,
boosting drug-related calls to Crimestoppers by more
than 400 per cent and getting yet more drug dealers off
Scotland's streets
- Strengthening the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency
(SDEA) - by the end of March this year, 200 staff were
working with police forces in tackling all forms of
serious and organised crime
- Co-operating across Europe through the new European
Arrest Warrant which helps speed up the arrest and
return of criminals wanted for prosecution or
punishment in Scotland, which last year resulted in the
return of five fugitives
- Bringing forward proposals in the police bill
consultation paper to encourage those accused of crimes
to give information and evidence to the police and
prosecutors to help convict others involved in more
serious and organised crime, in return for reduced
sentences
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"We live in an increasingly global world and just as
legitimate businesses have adapted by operating on an
international basis - so too have criminal networks who
neither respect geographical nor political boundaries. They
are involved in activity at all levels, from growing opium
in Afghanistan to drug dealing in Aberdeen.
"Their networks extend into every community in Scotland,
helped by local gangs who think that they can make vast
profits on the back of these immoral activities - and get
away with it. They should think again.
"Ministers have acted to invest in strengthening the
SDEA. They and Scotland's police forces are having notable
success in combating these criminals. More Class A drugs
were seized in the first six months of 2004-05 than the
whole of the previous year.
"The SDEA is also co-operating with law enforcement
organisations both in the UK and abroad to take the fight
against these criminals to their doorsteps, wherever they
are operating throughout the globe.
"I am determined to continue to support those efforts
and ensure that there is no hiding place in Scotland for
these evil networks. I also want to send a clear message to
these criminals that they cannot continue to lord it up on
the profits of their ill-gotten gains.
"We will not only seek to put these individuals behind
bars, but through the courts we will seek to hit them where
it hurts most - in their pocket - and reinvest these funds
in the communities which they have tried so hard to
destroy."
Solicitor General Elish Angiolini QC said:
"The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is
driving home the message that crime does not pay by using
the full range of powers available to strip those who
benefit from crime of their assets.
"Working with our partner agencies we will continue to
play a key role in bringing major criminals to justice and
combating the misery that serious and organised crime
brings to the communities of Scotland."
The provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act were phased
in between December 2002 and March 2003, with Part 3 - the
criminal confiscation provisions - commencing on March 24,
2003. In the past two years, just over £5.4m has been
ordered by the Scottish Courts to be paid to
the Executive.
The 'Drug Dealers Don't Care, Do You?' campaign, which
ran from February 15 to March 31 this year, cost £1.062m
and was funded entirely through assets seized from
criminals under the Act. In future years, such funding will
be used to help regenerate and improve areas hardest hit by
drugs. Further details on this will be announced later this
year.
From February 15 to April 17, the campaign had generated
3600 actionable calls on drugs to Crimestoppers - more than
a four-fold increase over the normal volume, resulted in
116 arrests and the seizure of £133,000 in drugs. The
figures for arrests and seizures are expected to increase
over the next two weeks as police forces throughout
Scotland mount a series of operations using intelligence
gathered during the campaign.
As well as working with Scottish police forces, the SDEA
has co-operated with UK organisations such the National
Criminal Intelligence Service, the Immigration Service and
HM Customs on crimes ranging from people smuggling to drug
trafficking and from April next year will be working
closely with their successor organisation - the Serious
Organised Crime Agency.
The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) allows EU member
states to work together more effectively by ensuring
alleged offenders are arrested and returned quickly to the
country where they are wanted to prosecution and trial.
Meanwhile, Europol also supports the SDEA and Scottish
police forces by allowing the rapid exchange of
intelligence between member states