Detectives investigating the disappearance of Khasha Smith have arrested a man as they continue to appeal for information.
Khasha, of Edinburgh, was last seen to be safe and well on a FaceTime call on Tuesday, 10 October, 2023, aged 35.
Following extensive enquiries, Khasha is believed to be dead. However, her body is yet to be found.
A 39-year-old man has today, Friday, 6 September, 2024, been arrested in connection with her death and enquiries are ongoing.
Khasha’s family have been made aware and have asked that their privacy is respected.
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, is appealing to the public for information.
He said: “Our thoughts are very much with Khasha’s family at this extremely difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.
“They are understandably devastated and it is vital we get answers for them.
“Extensive enquiries remain ongoing to trace Khasha and I would again encourage anyone with any information regarding her disappearance to contact police, as a matter of urgency.
“Any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital, so please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3915 of 5 January 2024.
Alternatively information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Long-serving Spartans youth players have been presented with medals to mark 10 years of service to the club.
The group belong to the current Under-17s set-up, having first joined not long after starting primary school.
Les Atkinson is chairman of the youth section and said: “We want to make people feel welcome and create a safe place for them to play their football and enjoy themselves here. It’s the ethos of the club which we work on and testimony to that is the length of time people stay at the club.
“There is a real family feel to the club, a community spirit to it, and that helps keep players with us as they want to be part of something special.
“We are always pleased to develop players so they can move to bigger clubs but often they come back to us if things don’t work out for whatever reason.”
Spartans take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the quarter-final of the League Cup later this month and Les, who is also manager of the Under-20 Development Squad, added: “We have a visible pathway now which the youngsters can see. At least half a dozen of the first team players have come through the youth section to the U20 development squad and into the top team.
“Now we are in the SPFL, the players have a real target to aim for. The success of the first team filters down to the development team and then through the youth section and creates a real feel-good factor.
“But we have always been about more than just football and winning trophies. A key part of our success is doing a lot outwith the football, helping the local community.”
The youngsters were presented with the medals at half-time of a recent league match at Ainslie Park.
Photo shows back row (l-r): Les Atkinson (Spartans FC Youth Chairman), Stuart Gray (coach development officer), Daniel Weir, Cameron Findlay, Joe Barry, Josh Smith, Ola Benson, Michael Kiddie, Ford Mills, Tony Lewis (U17s coach), Paul Woods (U17s coach).Front row (l-r): Hugo Boyle, Charlie Cusiter, Preston Kennedy, Joe Woods, Ben Lewis, Finlay McNally, Chris Mill.
The Home Secretary convenes ministers and law enforcement partners to destroy the gangs that undermine border security and risk lives on small boats
The Home Secretary will convene a landmark operational summit of cabinet ministers and law enforcement partners today (Friday 6 September), as she sets out the moral imperative to destroy the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings.
Her comments come after the horrific tragedy in the Channel this week that saw the deaths of at least 12 people, with others reported to be still in a critical condition.
The Home Secretary will be joined at the NCA headquarters in London by ministers including the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) is deploying formidable covert capability to support the NCA to penetrate and dismantle the gangs at every level of operation – from facilitators to financiers.
UKIC will also attend this landmark meeting, which will set out the progress being made on intensifying the enforcement activity aimed at disrupting, intercepting and destroying the criminal network moving people, boats and engines into Europe and across the continent to the French coastline.
Ministers and law enforcement partners will examine the findings from the analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary on the operational capabilities of the criminal smuggling gangs. Discussion will also be focused on collaboration with European enforcement agencies, including Europol, and plans will be put forward to rapidly enhance this through the government’s new Border Security Command in the coming months.
NCA Director General Graeme Biggar will highlight how close co-operation with the Bulgarian authorities and an established NCA presence in that critical transit country has led to more than 40 small boats and engines being intercepted in recent weeks. This material, now removed from the smuggling supply chain, could have enabled up to 2,400 people to attempt the deadly crossing.
He will also set details of around 70 further live investigations, including:
working with the Libyan police to target gangs trafficking migrants through Libya, with raids on warehouses where migrants are housed, often in appalling conditions, before making their onward journey to Europe
collaboration with French authorities to investigate the death of a woman killed in an overloaded boat on 28 July
This meeting led by the Home Secretary comes as she spoke to her French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, this week to discuss increased co-operation to dismantle the gangs.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs. Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week.
“At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice.
“The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners.
“At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.”
NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said: “People smuggling puts lives in mortal danger.
“As well as arresting suspects and seeing our investigations lead to convictions and sentences, we’re operating around the world to disrupt the perpetrators. This includes helping seize more than 410 small boats and engines since last spring, preventing thousands of crossings.
“Tackling the callous criminals behind organised immigration crime is one of the NCA’s highest priorities. We continue to expand our activity to deliver ever greater impact against the threat.”
In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has led a ‘reset’ in the relationship with Europe, with work to increase security co-operation and tackle illegal migration at the heart. This has already led to a 50 per cent uplift in the number of NCA officers stationed in Europol, working on organised immigration crime.
Last week, the Home Secretary announced an additional 100 specialist investigators to disrupt people smuggling globally. In addition to the Europol presence, the NCA has enhanced its international liaison officer network, responsible for cracking down on criminal networks in specific areas.
A new post is open in Austria and officers are being permanently deployed to Romania. Headcount is also increasing in South East Asia, in key countries where gangs are advertising Channel crossings. These are just the first steps of an intensification of the UK’s international law enforcement and bilateral partnership arrangements and serves as a platform for Border Security Command operations.
The tragedy off the French coast on Tuesday 3 September highlights the increasingly extreme measures the gangs are willing to contemplate, as more people are crammed into less seaworthy vessels. It has been reported that most of those who died were women and children.
Intelligence reveals smugglers have also increased the price they charge for migrants to cross the Channel, including charging for children to get into boats, as the business model comes under pressure from UK and partner law enforcement.
Former Scotland rugby star Scott Hastings has confirmed his wife Jenny has been missing since disappearing while wild swimming at Wardie Bay on Tuesday afternoon.
HM Coastguard was alerted to Jenny Hastings’ disappearance shortly before 3pm but despite a swift and thorough response by emergency services she could not be found. The search was stood down on Tuesday evening.
Jenny Hastings has struggled with her mental health for a number of years and police are treating the incident as a ‘high risk missing person case’.
Astatement issued on behalf of the family says:
The Hastings family are absolutely heart broken.
Jenny and Scott have a huge following of friends from all walks of life including those that work in the media and we ask that at this moment in time we are allowed to grieve privately with family members.
For the time being we request that you hold off from messaging us directly and/or posting on any social media until further news.
We know that you all care for us deeply and as soon as we hear any update from the police we will advise you accordingly.
We miss our Jenny. She leaves a gaping hole in all our hearts and hope that she is returned to us safely so that we can celebrate her remarkable life.
