Leith murder: Nashir Ahmed’s family pays tribute as hunt goes on

POLICE are continuing enquiries following the murder of 65-year-old Nashir Ahmed on Sunday, 10 March, 2024. 

Mr Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road, Edinburgh, Leith Library, around 8.30pm when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.

Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024. 

Mr Ahmed’s family said: “Nashir was a loving husband and father. He was a big part of our family and we are devastated at losing him.

“He was heavily involved in Edinburgh’s Bangladeshi community and will be greatly missed. He loved life and cared for all his family and friends. We will always remember his warmth and his kindness.”

His attacker is described as black, around 30-years of age, with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.

Man wearing white hat and shirt sitting on a boat with water and swans behind him.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “A family has been left feeling bereft as they come to terms with losing someone so integral to their lives. The circumstances are heart breaking, and I can’t possibly imagine the pain they are feeling during these difficult times. 

“We continue to follow up several lines of inquiry and I would reiterate my appeal to anyone who has any information about this crime or the person responsible to contact us. Any small piece of information could be crucial in our ongoing investigation, so please do pass it on. 

“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Police: Make it tough for car thieves

Following several incidents across the city Police in Edinburgh ask that vehicle owners take note of the following simple prevention measures that could stop your vehicle being stolen –

• Use a steering lock – a visible deterrent to thieves.

• If your vehicle has keyless entry use a Faraday pouch / metal tin to prevent relay theft.

• Do not leave keys close to windows / doors – this aids relay theft and physical theft of the keys.

• If you have a private driveway / parking space, consider fitting a parking bollard.

• Fit a lock to the vehicles On Board Diagnostic (OBD) port to prevent thieves easily re-programming a new key.

• Use a pedal box – these specially designed boxes fit over the drive pedals and lock in place when the vehicle is not in use.

• Physically check doors are locked before leaving your vehicle and don’t leave valuables within.

• Trackers can assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles – check if your vehicle has one and how to obtain information if it is required.

If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person or vehicle involved.

Please call 999 if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police.

Police operation in Leith sees 16 charged for drugs offences

Officers in Leith have seized drugs worth an estimated street value of £46,000 and charged 16 people with drugs offences as part of Operation Elate in Leith.

In response to community concerns, the operation running through March has seen and will see officers focus on tackling drug crime and drug-related harm in the area. This is a partnership initiative dedicated to disrupting the drugs trade while directing vulnerable adults, young people and children to the support they require.

Enforcement, where necessary, has been taking place with 16 people, aged between 15 and 50, charged in relation to drugs offences. Drugs, including Diamorphine and Cocaine have been seized. Intelligence led-searches have also been carried out under warrant at five addresses in the Edinburgh area.

Sergeant Marr of Leith Police Station said: “Removing illegal drugs and targeting criminals who seek to profit from other people’s misery continues to be a priority for us and our communities.

“People involved in the supply of drugs make money out of addiction and vulnerability. They risk people’s lives for their own financial gain, and often, use this to fund other forms of serious and organised crime.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to tackling this type of criminality, officers are carrying out additional patrols in the Leith area and engaging with the community to identify local concerns so the appropriate action can be taken.

“We rely on the support of the public and we would urge anyone with any information regarding drugs in their communities to contact 101. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Ferry Road attack victim has died

LEITH MURDER: POLICE RENEW CALL FOR WITNESSES

A 65-year-old man has died in hospital after being seriously assaulted in Edinburgh on the evening of Sunday, 10 March, 2024.

Nashir Ahmed was standing with a 48-year-old man at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by another man who then attacked them.

Emergency services attended and both men were taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The 48-year-old victim was discharged after receiving treatment for serious leg and facial injuries however Mr Ahmed later died in hospital on Friday, 15 March, 2024. His family are aware.

Detectives are treating his death as murder and are renewing their appeal for any information which could assist their investigation.

From enquiries carried out so far, the suspect is described as black, around 30-years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Ahmed’s family and the other victim and specialist officers are supporting them during this extremely difficult time.

“This was a completely random and unprovoked assault on Mr Ahmed and his friend and it is absolutely vital that we trace the individual responsible for this despicable and senseless crime.

“Ferry Road would have been busy around the time and we would continue to urge anyone who witnessed this attack as well as anyone with dash-cam or private CCVV footage of the area which could be of significance, to please get in touch.

“Incidents of this nature can understandably cause concern to the local community however we are following a number of positive lines of enquiry and there will continue to be additional patrols in the area to provide reassurance.

“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Balerno Police Station to close

The Scottish Police Authority has approved plans to dispose of three police stations following public consultation.

At the SPA Resources Committee held on Wednesday, 13 March, 2024, Balerno in Edinburgh, Seaton in Aberdeen and Carluke in South Lanarkshire were all formally declared as surplus.

Police Scotland announced on 14 December 2023 proposals to close police stations across the country as part of their estate transformation strategy.

Public consultation was launched both at a local level and nationally through an online Engagement Hub, with consultations on individual properties taking place at different times. The consultations on the properties in Balerno, Seaton and Carluke all closed on Sunday, 18 February, 2024.

Balerno, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, has historically been underutilised and has not been used as an operational response station for many years. Officers deploy from Wester Hailes which is less than five miles away and has the nearest public counter.

Carluke was last fully utilised as an operational station three years ago, due to extensive water damage. Local community officers have been deploying from Lanark police station just over five miles away. Lanark is the main response hub for the area and nearest public counter. Officers have continued to effectively serve the area from Lanark with no detriment to the level of policing service delivery to the community of Carluke.

Seaton is leased space within Seaton Primary School. The station was last in operational use in response to the Covid pandemic in 2020/21. Since then, policing services in Aberdeen have been realigned and the property has not been used as an operational station for over two years. Officers previously based at this location relocated to other city stations, such as Tillydrone, which is less than two miles away.

Comments received from the public on all three properties recognised that the stations are not currently used and there was agreement that there is limited use of the buildings as a local safe place. One theme that emerged was the sentiment that local police sites represent policing and infer feelings of safety within the community.

All three properties were considered surplus to requirements by local Divisional Commanders and the SPA Resources committee approved them being declared surplus, with a view to being disposed of.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson said : “Police Scotland inherited a very large and ageing estate, much of which was not fit for purpose, with high maintenance costs and environmental inefficiencies.

“Although we have rationalised and reduced the number of our properties over the last ten years, in some cases we are still maintaining multiple buildings just a few miles apart.

“Also, with advances in digital technology and our fleet, officers are no longer tied to working from police buildings and much of their time is spent out in communities dealing with calls and helping the public.

“All buildings incur running costs and ongoing repairs and maintenance. Retaining vacant and underutilised buildings, such as these three properties, is not good use of public funds.

“I realise that that for some, the presence of a police building can bring reassurance and confidence to their local area.

“I can assure the public that our officers will continue to be active, visible and accessible in these communities. Disposing of a vacant building does not mean there will be a withdrawl of service to that area.

“Those local communities will continue to receive the same high level of service from our officers.”

The outcomes of the consultations for Seaton, Balerno and Carluke have been published and can be found on the Engagement Hub.  

Estate Transformation: Local Area Consultations – Police Scotland – Citizen Space.

Police seek witnesses to Leith assaults

POLICE are appealing for information after two men were seriously assaulted in Leith on Sunday evening (10 March, 2024).

Around 8.30pm, the two men aged 48 and 65, were standing at a bus stop on Ferry Road near to its junction with Great Junction Street and Coburg Street, when they were approached by a man who then attacked them.

Police and ambulance attended and the men were both taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where they are receiving treatment.

The suspect is described as black, around 30 years of age with short, dark hair. He was wearing a red tartan scarf and a long, black jacket with a hood.

Detective Inspector Steven Gray of Gayfield Police Station said: “This is a busy area and I would urge anyone who witnessed this attack take place, or anyone with information that may assist us to come forward as soon as possible.

“I would also ask anyone driving in this area around the time of this incident to check their dash-cam footage and please contact us with anything relevant.

“Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 2805 of 10 March. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”

Domestic abusers jailed for 272 years after taskforce investigations

Police Scotland investigations have resulted in 43 offenders being sentenced to a total of 272 years in prison since 1 April 2023.

The 43 perpetrators were convicted of a total of 364 domestic abuse offences following work by the service’s national Domestic Abuse Taskforce.

Their sentences included non-harassment orders (NHOs) totalling 1119 years, including 21 indefinite NHOs, while four abusers were given orders of lifelong restriction.

A total of 139 victims were identified.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sam Faulds, Head of Public Protection, Police Scotland, said: “These are significant outcomes for victims, the result of that first step taken to tell someone, an officer or a support worker, of the abuse they have suffered.

“Our Domestic Abuse Taskforce takes on the most complex, challenging and sensitive enquiries often involving multiple victims who have suffered years of abuse, whether physical, sexual, emotional and financial.

“We understand how difficult it can be for people to report abuse, to revisit a painful past. It is really important people understand that they are not alone, help is available.

“Society is changing. Domestic abuse in all its forms is now recognised and not ignored. Ultimately, we are working, with partners, to prevent domestic abuse, and to reduce the harm it causes.

“Tackling domestic abuse is a priority for Police Scotland. Every officer is trained to deal with domestic incidents, and to identify the full range of abuse that offenders use to control, coerce and instil fear in victims.

“If you are a victim of domestic abuse, or are concerned that someone you know is a victim, then please report to Police Scotland or through one of our partner agencies. We will take action and we will investigate.”

Officers in Scotland attend nearly 65,000 domestic abuse calls a year, a call every eight minutes on average. Around 42% of these will result in a crime being recorded.

‘a thousand words’ commissioned by Scottish Womens Aid and Zero Tolerance. Copyright Laura Dodsworth

Police Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Taskforce deals with the most complex domestic abuse investigations, often involving long term offending against multiple victims.

According to the latest quarterly performance data (quarter three, April to December 2023), 46,195 domestic incidents were reported to the police and 26,300 crimes were recorded.

Recorded domestic crimes are down 5.1% (1,399 crimes) compared to the same period last year, and down 8.7% (2,511 crimes) compared to the five-year mean.

Reports of domestic incidents had increased by 2.0% (892 incidents) compared to last year.

Of the crimes recorded, 1505 were recorded under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, a 13.2% increase (175 crimes) on the previous year.

Requests to the Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland (DSDAS) increased by 23.5% overall compared to the same period last year.

Police promote fraud awareness as part of new partnership initiative

 

Police Scotland will be promoting fraud awareness to commuters across the country next week as part of the new Stay Safe – Get on Board partnership initiative. 

Alongside teams from the British Transport Police, Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, and Scotrail, officers will be speaking to the public up and down the east coast trainlines between Inverness and Galashiels, as part of the Anti-Fraud Roadshow.

The initiative will begin at Aberdeen Train Station on Monday, 11 March, 2024, with officers from the Crime Reduction Unit, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Scotland and British Transport Police, travelling onward on the Aberdeen-Dundee and Edinburgh-Dundee lines. Officers will be offering passengers advice on how to avoid being defrauded or what to do if they have been a victim of fraud. 

Day two of the initiative will see officers and partners providing further advice to those travelling on the Aberdeen-Inverness and Edinburgh-Galashiels lines.

Inspector Claire Smith, of the Crime Reduction Unit, said: “Police Scotland is committed to tackling fraud and pursuing those responsible. Providing support to victims is a priority for us. 

“However, we hope that by working alongside partners we can deliver critical fraud prevention messaging and equip people with the information they need to prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place.

“I would encourage anyone travelling on East coast trainlines who would like any advice on how to spot fraudulent activity or who have any concerns about fraud to speak with our officers.”

Inspector Ashley Forbes of the British Transport Police said: “British Transport Police are proud to join forces with Police Scotland and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland as part of the new Stay Safe – Get on Board initiative.

“Criminals may use a variety of tactics to commit fraud on unsuspecting passengers on Scotland’s rail network, so it’s vital the travelling public are equipped with the correct information and tools they need to prevent becoming a victim of fraud. 

“British Transport Police’s high visibility officers, alongside our key partners, will be conducting on-board and at station patrols across Edinburgh and the North East to spread our important fraud prevention messaging to passengers.”

Lesley Clark, Director of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, said: “We are proud to be involved in the Stay Safe – Get on Board joint initiative, working with partners from Police Scotland, British Transport Police, Scotrail, including Travel Safe Team and Network Rail.

“Crimes including Fraud and other Community Safety issues can have a devastating impact on people and our communities. By working together, providing advice and support it is hoped people will feel more informed and better at identifying crimes and prevent them becoming a victim.”

Drugs operation sees man arrested and charged

As part of an operation to combat illegal substances in the north east area of Edinburgh a man has been arrested and charged in connection with drugs offences.

Officers from Operation Elate arrested the 26-year-old man around 5.40pm yesterday (Wednesday, 6 March, 2024) in Elgin Street, Leith. Subsequently, class A drugs with a street value of £5,160 and over £700 in cash were recovered.

The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday 4th April.

Chief Inspector Kieran Dougal said: “Drugs cause miseries in our communities and officers continue to work to remove illegal substances from our streets.

“Information from the public has an important role and we ask anyone with concerns about drugs to contact Police Scotland via 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Emma Caldwell: Chief Constable issues apology for police failings

Scottish Government expected to announce public inquiry today

The Chief Constable said: “Emma Caldwell, her family, and many other victims, were let down by policing in 2005. I am sorry.

“I offered that apology personally to Emma’s family today and I am grateful they gave me the opportunity to do so and to listen to their perspective and experience. I pay tribute to their courage, resilience, and determination in the years since her death.

“I listened carefully to the family’s statement following Packer’s conviction and I understand when they say the conviction brings no joy, elation or closure but that it simply allows Emma’s mother Margaret to breathe again.

“It is important that Emma’s family and the public get answers to the many questions they have.

“I therefore support the family’s calls for a public inquiry. I absolutely commit that Police Scotland will fully participate in any further proceedings.

“We have reflected and learned from the initial investigation and subsequent re-investigation.

“Significant changes have been made in recent years to improve our organisational culture and our response, particularly in respect of investigative structures, victim care and processes to these types of crimes. 

“Our Violence against Women and Girls Strategy demonstrates our absolute commitment to tackling the violence and abuse that disproportionately affects women and girls.

“I am also committed to relentlessly improving how we respond to and serve the public, and to ensuring officers and staff uphold our values and help to deliver justice for victims.”

Justice Secretary Angela Constance is expected to announce an independent public inquiry into the police handling of the Emma Caldwell murder investigation later today.