Crime cash seized in major police operation

Over £225,000 pounds of cash has been recovered from suspected criminals and £7 million worth of assets have been referred for seizure in one of the largest operations ever undertaken by police in Scotland.

Two vehicles were seized, £316,000 of drugs and £25,440 worth of stolen and counterfeit goods were also seized during the enforcement phase of the “Made From Crime?” campaign.

The initiative aims to target those making money illegally through crime, and for the past three days 400 uniformed and detective officers across the East of Scotland have been actively pursuing suspects.

The campaign was launched in January this year by Lothian and Borders Police, Fife Constabulary and Central Scotland Police and asked members of the public to come forward to the charity Crimestoppers and report their suspicions about people making money illegally.

Marketing materials and a 20 foot long Ad-Trailer were placed in key locations across the East of Scotland and special Facebook adverts that were geo-targeted to people living in the area ran through the six-week ‘intelligence-gathering’ phase.

Throughout the campaign, Crimestoppers reported a 31% percent rise in all calls across the East of Scotland area to the charity.

All of this intelligence was gathered and analysed by officers, before the latest enforcement action this week.

Between 7am on Wednesday 13th to 7am on Friday 15th March, 78 addresses were targeted and 74 people were arrested throughout Central Scotland, Fife and Lothian and Borders area.

The joint working between Central Scotland Police, Fife Constabulary and Lothian and Borders Police comes in advance of the Police Service of Scotland launching on 1st April. These forces will join to form “East Command”, and are already beginning to share services and resources under the Specialist Crime Division, a powerful new division to tackle serious crime.

Today (Friday 15 March) police will host a media conference at Lochend’s Ripple Project, a charity that has benefited from the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities Scheme, to discuss the results.

Detective Superintendent David Gordon, Head of Serious Organised Crime for the Specialist Crime Division in the East of Scotland, said: “This campaign was deliberately designed to be ambitious and tenacious and target criminals who believed they could live lavish lifestyles from the proceeds of crime. The response we had from local communities throughout the intelligence gathering phase was fantastic, and showed that they were not prepared to tolerate criminality in their area.

“The months of planning for the enforcement phase have paid off throughout the past few days, and we are delighted with the results, which is a fantastic start for the new Specialist Crime Division. Criminals have no regard for boundaries and borders and the SCD is giving us increased flexibility to go where they go, and target them where they operate in a leaner, meaner and sharper way.

“We will work with our partners in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensure those arrested in connection with the operation are faced with the full force of the law, and we will also work with the Scottish Government to ensure the money we have seized can be put back into communities.

“This is not the end of our activity and I would appeal to people to continue to come forward with this vital intelligence so that we can actively pursue those living beyond their means. We will not stand for criminality in our communities in Scotland.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “This important initiative has built on the good progress that was made a year ago when it was first launched and the achievements of these past weeks are to be welcomed. The work that has been undertaken by police in Lothian and Borders, Central and Fife has been assisted by members of the public who have provided information. I thank everyone who has assisted the police in this way.

“There should be no hiding place in our neighbourhoods for those who cash in on crime and this will continue to be a top priority for this Government and the new single police service when it goes live shortly.”

Kate Jackson, National Manager for Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “This has been a very successful campaign which has seen a significant and sustained increase in calls to the charity of 31% for the Lothian & Borders, Central and Fife areas of Scotland. Members of the public clearly want to make a difference in their area by reporting criminals and wrongdoing and don’t like to see anyone living off the proceeds of crime. I would urge anyone with information to continue to do this and to report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at the Crimestoppers website.”

Local canine theft spate is shaggy dog story!

Local Police have moved to reassure the public over a reported spate of dog thefts in the area.

Stories have spread on social media that dog owners are being targeted and robbed of their pets, but police say these rumours are unfounded and have ‘little basis in fact’ .

Police have investigated the number of such thefts that have taken place across the Force area since the start of the year, and enquiries have confirmed just three reports of dog theft this year.

Two of the stolen dogs have been reunited with their owners, while enquiries are ongoing in the other incident where a dog that was stolen at Marine Drive on February 5. Police hope to trace the stolen animal and reunite it with its owner.

Sergeant Derek Duff said: “Over the past few weeks we have become aware of rumours of a spate of dog thefts in the west of the Capital, centred around the area covering Muirhouse, Silverknowes, and Cramond. These rumours have caused alarm to dog owners in the area, and we are taking this opportunity to reassure people that the rumours have little basis in fact.

“There have only been three reported dog thefts in the Force area since the start of the year, and almost all of the dogs have eventually been reunited with their owners, with the exception of one. We take any reports of dog theft extremely seriously, and we will carry out a full and thorough investigation when any such complaint is made.”

Investigation after male found with injuries

An investigation has been launched after a male was found with injuries at Northview Court on Pennywell Road this morning.

Police guard the outside of Northview Court. (Picture: Robert pearson)

Scottish Ambulance Service has confirmed that a 46 year old male was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with injuries which included a nail lodged in his face.

More to follow.

Police seek witnesses following Marine Drive incidents

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following two bogus caller incidents in Marine Drive yesterday (Wednesday 27 February).

The first incident happened around 12.45am, when the suspect called at an address in Marine Drive and asked for a drink of water. She pushed her way into the premises and was given a drink, before leaving empty-handed.

The next incident happened ten minutes later, at another address in Marine Drive. This time, the suspect asked to use a phone to call a taxi, and was allowed into the premises. She appeared to use the phone, and then made her way to the homeowner’s bedroom where she began looking through several trinket boxes before leaving, again empty-handed.

The suspect is described as white, 28 to 35-years-old, 5ft 5ins tall, stocky build, with light brown hair, wearing a dark jacket with hood, and carrying a tan coloured handbag. She spoke with a local accent.

Detective Constable Gavin Watson, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “While no items were stolen in these incidents, it is likely that the suspect had called at these addresses with the intention of stealing any items of value that she could. We want anyone who received a similar call at their home address yesterday to contact police, and if anyone recognises the description of the suspect then they should also get in touch.

“At this time we would urge anyone who receives an unsolicited call at their home address by anyone asking for access to the property to refuse, unless they are completely satisfied that the caller is genuine. Anyone who has any suspicions over the intentions of any cold caller should contact police immediately.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 101, or Crimestoppers and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Man charged over Gumtree assaults

An eighteen year old man has been arrested and charged in connection with alleged robberies from people who posted items for sale online.

The man was held by police investigating a series of alleged incidents at McDonald’s car park off Telford Road, where three people have had electrical goods stolen after arranging to meet a “buyer”.

The man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow.

Public warned over Gumtree scam

Police in Edinburgh are investigating a series of robberies and assaults on people selling electronics online. Two of the thefts involved computers and a third involved a mobile phone – which had been advertised on the Gumtree website – and the robberies took place after sellers agreed to meet potential buyers in McDonald’s car park on Telford Road.

The most recent incident happened on Monday (18 February) when a 24-year-old man was threatened and robbed of an Apple computer he was attempting to sell. The other two incidents happened on Sunday 20 January and Monday 21 January.

Inspector Mark Rennie, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “While no victims were injured, all were understandably distressed as a result of their respective ordeals, and we are carrying out inquiries in order to establish whether these incidents are linked. At the same time we are warning anyone conducting any transaction over Gumtree, or any similar website, to take precautions to ensure their safety.”

Lothian and Borders Police have issued advice for anyone who sells goods online, including to meet in a well-lit public place and get full contact details for any potential buyer you agree to meet.

Anyone with any information about these crimes should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Positive public response to Made From Crime? campaign

A police campaign tackling people making money from crime has led to a significant increase in information about suspected criminals across the East of Scotland. The independent charity Crimestoppers has reported a 30% increase in intelligence reports since the “Made From Crime?” campaign launched across the area on 21 January.

Lothian and Borders Police, Central Scotland Police, and Fife Constabulary are all taking part in this phase of the campaign, which is designed to make specific use of the Proceeds of Crime legislation (POCA).

It asks members of the public to come forward and report their suspicions about people making money illegally. People are able to report information through a number of ways including telephone, online, and through specific facebook advertising that police forces are using to target communities throughout the East of Scotland.

The biggest rise in information came from the Fife Constabulary area, where there was an 80% rise in intelligence reports following the launch of the campaign.

The information has now been passed to police forces to investigate further.

A similar campaign that ran in the Lothian and Borders area in 2011 saw a 17% rise in information to Crimestoppers and allowed officers to target criminals in a series of raids across two days. During this period, over £6.4 million worth of assets were identified for seizure from criminals and 44 people were arrested.

Detective Superintendent David Gordon, Head of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit at Lothian and Borders Police, said: “Police forces across the East of Scotland are committed to targeting criminals who fund their lifestyles through crime. I am delighted that members of the public have come forward to tell Crimestoppers about their suspicions, and that they in turn have been able to provide us with vital intelligence to help us in our efforts to rid communities of crime. I know people can be scared to tell us about those who are making their lives a misery by peddling crime in their area, however please be reassured that all information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

Kate Jackson, national manager for Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “The public response speaks for itself and clearly people are not prepared to put up with criminality so have contacted us with information. I would urge anyone else who has information about crime to contact us on 0800 555 111 where we guarantee their anonymity. No-one will ever know that they have contacted us, but they can be assured that their actions will assist in making their communities better places.”

Don’t fall for early pension cash scam

Have you reached an email or letter recently offering you the opportunity to make some quick cash by surrendering your pension plans early? In these cash-strapped times the offer of ready money may sound tempting, but the chances are the deal really is too good to be true.

A hard-hitting information campaign for consumers and pensions professionals has just been launched as part of an ongoing multi-agency crackdown on predators claiming to be able to release pensions cash as a loan or lump sum before the law allows.

According to The Pensions Regulator, the perpetrators often work alongside ‘introducers’ or ‘advisers’ who try to entice the public with spam text messages, cold calls or website promotions into transferring their existing workplace or private pension with the promise of being able to release a portion as cash before the age of 55.

People may be misled or not properly informed that tax charges and fees can erode their pension pot by more than half, leaving them with little to live on in retirement.
The remainder of their funds are likely to be invested in highly dubious and risky, unregulated investment structures, often based overseas.

The amount that has been ‘liberated’ from pension schemes in this way is known to be in the hundreds of millions of pounds, with thousands of members affected.
To combat this, The Pensions Regulator has worked with other agencies to produce information, carrying distinctive scorpion imagery, illustrating the threat to people’s pensions if they are taken in by such offers.

The new information includes:
A warning insert that administrators and pension providers will be asked to include in the information they provide to members who request a transfer of their pension.
A more detailed information leaflet for members looking to understand the consequences of these offers, which will be hosted on The Pensions Advisory Service website.
An action pack for pension professionals, including a checklist and examples of what to look out for.

Where administrators receive a transfer request and detect the warning signs of liberation, such as pension money being passed back to the member before age 55, they may wish to consider whether to make the transfer, and report their concerns to Action Fraud. The action pack includes more information to help them with this decision.

If you think you may have been a victim, or if you have information regarding pension liberation fraud, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Police offer security advice to local businesses

Police in North Edinburgh are offering free crime prevention surveys to businesses in the area.

Officers from the Safer Neighbourhoods Team at Drylaw Police Station will be delivering letters to businesses and offering security surveys to highlight additional measures that can be taken to maximise security, following a spate of night-time break-ins which have occurred since Christmas.

Five men have been arrested and charged in relation to separate alleged break-ins in the last three weeks and additional police resources have been patrolling the area during the night to check premises. Despite this, thieves have continued to target businesses and on occasions returned to several premises that have broken into previously.

In an effort to raise awareness, the police have also alerted other night-time private security staff and council workers to encourage them to immediately report any suspicious or unusual activity when they are working in the area.

Inspector Mark Rennie of Drylaw Police Station said: “It’s really important that businesses review the robustness of the security measures they have in place and ensure all equipment is working. We hope that by offering free surveys and highlighting appropriate measures to take, businesses will do everything they can to make themselves a hard target.

“We’ve informed a lot of local people of the issue but worryingly we haven’t always had calls from residents when noises have been heard emanating from premises during the night. I’d like to encourage people to phone us immediately so that we get officers there quickly.”

Anyone with any information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thieves steal bikes worth £6,000 from local shop

Thieves have stolen bikes to the value of £6,000 from a local bike shop on Granton Road.

The thieves struck at 2.20am on Tuesday morning and locals reported hearing glass smashing before seeing two men cycle of on the bikes.

A Giant Trance X0 29er, worth around £3500 – one of only two in Scotland, and a Diamondback Sortie 3, worth around £2400 were taken in the  robbery. The thieves also stole the money that was left in the till.

The owner of the shop, Neil Hope, has offered a reward on Facebook for the recovery of the bikes.

He said “The thieves stole the two most expensive bikes in the shop, there will be a reward for the recovery of the bikes or for information that leads to the thieves being caught.”

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses to the break-in and are asking anyone with information to contact them on 0131 311 3131.