Chief Constable Jo Farrell yesterday (Thursday, 24 September) praised partners and officers who supported the largest and most co-ordinated human trafficking operation in Scotland.
During a public meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Glasgow, Chief Constable Farrell thanked those involved in deployments which led to 36 arrests and the discovery of cannabis farms with an estimated value of around £3m.
Read her report here.
Her verbal update is below:
Over the last 36 hours, around 300 officers have been carrying out co-ordinated intelligence led enforcement action targeting those suspected of being involved in human trafficking and exploitation.
We deployed simultaneously yesterday across a number of towns and cities across the country, targeting a number of addresses. We’ve made to date 36 arrests, seized 14 cannabis farms and number of pieces of evidence – digital devices, cash and identity documents which have all been recovered and will be examined.
Alongside the enforcement that has been carried out we worked with Justice and Care who are a third sector agency that support victims of exploitation and trafficking. Their collective focus with Police Scotland is in relation to safeguarding vulnerable people.
The action that has been taken is the biggest and most coordinated human trafficking operation Police Scotland has ever had. It followed close joint working by our Human Trafficking Unit and with partners including the Home Office, National Crime Agency and HMRC, supported by local policing officers and Operational Support Division, among others, and in close consultation with colleagues at the Crown.
This was a carefully planned and important operation to disrupt and tackle an international concern which impacts communities right across Scotland.
Criminal justice proceedings are now active, and we will continue to work with Crown colleagues and others in relation to this important area. I will just finish that section by thanking Detective Chief Superintendent Sarah Taylor, and Superintendent Stevie Bertram and all our teams and partners who played their parts in this significant operation.
Moving on to my report, and I note that the busy summer period for policing was highlighted by the operation to support a safe and secure Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Under the Operational name Lannair, this was part of a professional and planned multi-agency approach which enabled us to deliver this important international event that brought thousands of visitors to Scotland.
Policing has an ongoing key role in supporting cohesive and resilient communities which stand together and enable people and businesses to thrive and flourish and our officers, staff, and volunteers work every day to improve lives, prevent crime and keep people safe.
I have been clear previously and I will reiterate that individuals who bring hate, disorder, violence and criminality to Glasgow and other communities across Scotland are to be condemned, identified, and held to account for offending.
My report outlines progress in relation to ongoing investigations into violence and disorder in Glasgow on 25 July, with a total of 30 arrests, and in relation to disorder following Celtic’s Premiership title win in May, with a total of 50 arrests so far.
My message is clear. Policing stands with our partners and the citizens we serve to ensure people feel safe and to enable our communities to thrive. Where criminality occurs, we will identify, investigate perpetrators and take appropriate action.
More recent events, including protest and football in Glasgow during the weekend of 12 and 13 September and last weekend passed without significant disruption and we will continue to work with partners and the public to ensure the city is a welcoming and safe environment.
I am grateful to Members for their interest in our policing operations on Sunday in Glasgow, which included a session at the event room in Govan and was a positive opportunity to provide to you a detailed overview of the policing of those events and stakeholder engagement as part of these events.
Engagement and collaboration across broader city stakeholders and partners are key to that, both with local authorities, COPFS, court service colleagues, and British Transport Police and others. They continue to play a significant role in supporting a successful operation and ensuring people are safe.
Returning to my report, and during the busy summer period, policing has been working with partners to prevent harm, and my report illustrates some of this work in relation to violence which affects young people and in relation to motorcyclists, who are killed and injured at a higher rate than other road users.
In August, along with the Scottish Government, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Fearless Scotland, and other partners, we had a week-long focus on violence prevention and the work that is delivered right across the country, throughout the year.
Violence Prevention Week was an opportunity to listen to and understand the perspective of young people, reflect on diversionary work at a local level, and hear powerful testimony from Lisa Petrie, whose son John McNab died in September 2025.
Motorcyclists represent less than one per cent of traffic on our roads but account for 18% of all road fatalities in Scotland, and our motorcycle safety campaign, focusing on education, enforcement and communication continues until September.
The devastation of road fatalities and injuries was strongly illustrated by the family of motorcyclist Ian Sloan, who lost his life in a motorcycle collision in June 2024.
I want to thank and pay tribute to people who have shared their stories to support efforts to prevent further harm.
Supporting safe and secure events, protecting the public, investigating criminality, preventing crime, and improving our response to violence against women and girls are made possible by the hard work of committed police officers, staff, and volunteers.
My report outlines last week’s sentencing of two men, each to 17 years’ imprisonment, for the attempted murder of PC Mark Smith, who powerfully described his experiences.
I welcome the sentences, which support an important message that police officers serving their community have a fundamental right to return home unharmed at the end of their shift and that those who meet them with violence are committing a serious crime, will be held to account, and there will be significant consequences.
There is a hero made in policing every day and it is the duty of all police leaders to support and enable our frontline to deliver for the people we serve, whether that is through providing resources, training, equipment, welfare support and aftercare where adverse incidents occur.
At the same time, recognising and respecting our people and their loved ones helps maintain a united policing family and strengthens the relationships that are crucial sources of support.
The Scottish Police Memorial Trust Service of Remembrance earlier this month was an opportunity to bring together some of our policing family and recognise the difficult, and at times dangerous, work of police officers and staff.
This year, that message of support extended to the families, friends, and colleagues of Cleveland Police Constables Tom Clough and Matthew Blades, whose devastating deaths on duty last month resonated across the UK policing family.
I want to thank Christine Fulton MBE for her tireless work leading the Memorial Trust and Scottish Police Authority Chair Alasdair Hay CBE QSFM, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice Neil Gray MSP, His Majesty’s Chief Inspectorate of Constabulary who all supported us at the event earlier in the month.
Lastly, my report outlines an ongoing schedule of engagement across military, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, local authorities, and criminal justice partners, much of which has been in collaboration with the Scottish Police Authority.
This includes Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton and Chief Superintendent Derek Cree’s evidence on policing’s response to mental health incidents at the Criminal Justice Committee, alongside you Chair last week.
Last week’s parliamentary debate, which followed that evidence session, underlined the growing consensus that too much need in this space is falling upon policing and that a system-wide response is required.
I also wanted to highlight yesterday’s engagement at parliament, including Chief Financial Officer Sarah Roughead’s contribution to the Finance and Public Administration Committee roundtable and ACC Mairs’s evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee in relation to domestic abuse.
Yesterday’s parliamentary engagement alongside SPA and SPA Forensics was also a hugely positive session and I want to thank Fulton MacGregor MSP for sponsoring the event, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice Neil Gray MSP for his support and all MSPs and partners who attended for their interest in policing.
As we develop the next phase of an aligned approach across business priorities, financial and workforce planning, and estates and digital transformation, strong communication and engagement will remain a focus for me and my senior team.
This will help us share progress towards our 2030 vision and being a collaborative partner in our forward planning.
