A woman and man have been convicted of human trafficking offences in Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh.
Mananchaya Wanitthanawet, 40 and Cameron Wilson, 30, were convicted at the High Court in Dundee on Thursday, 22 August, 2024.
They are due to be sentenced at a later date.
The offences took place between November, 2019 and December, 2020.
Detective Inspector Simon Murray said: “Human trafficking has no place in Scotland.
“We will continue target criminals who abuse, control and exploit people, working with partners nationally and internationally to bring offenders to justice, and to raise public awareness to help identify victims and ensure they get the support they need.
“People within local communities are often the first to spot when someone may be trafficked or is being exploited.
“If you have concerns, or information, please report this to us on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 so we can investigate and take action.”
Police are appealing to the public to help identify a man whose body was discovered in the River Tay at Aberfeldy last Saturday, 17 August, 2024.
The man’s body was discovered by a member of the public near to Wades Bridge around 9.40am. He is described as white and likely in his late 50’s or older, around 6ft 4ins in height and of medium build with sandy blonde and grey wavy hair. When he was found he was wearing black underwear.
His death is not believed to be suspicious.
Detective Inspector Simon Murray said: “Unfortunately, despite significant enquiries, we have not yet been able to establish who the man is. We want to establish his identity as soon as possible to inform his family of his death.
“There were no personal belongings near to where he was found, and no-one has reported anyone matching his description missing to police.
“We are continuing to carry out enquiries to help us identify where he may have entered the water. We would ask any local residents if this description resembles anyone they know lives locally? For any wider public who have been in the Aberfeldy area over the past couple of weeks, does this resemble anyone they may have seen in the area?
“Has anyone seen personal items either washed up on the shore or discarded near the water? Have you have seen a car parked in either a car park or a layby in the area that has been there for a few days? Abandoned tents or anything out else of the ordinary?
“He may have been on holiday or visiting the Aberfeldy area, so if you have any information or if you have not heard from a friend or family member and this is unusual, please contact us. Anyone with any information that may be relevant is urged to contact 101 quoting incident number 1094 of 17 August.”
Plans to dispose of Portobello police station following public consultation has been approved and the building will now be marketed for sale.
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. The consultation on Portobello opened on 17 January 2024 and closed on 13 March 2024. In total there were 116 respondents.
Portobello has historically been underutilised; operational officers have not been stationed there since October 2016. Community and response officers have been based at Craigmillar police station. The disposal of Portobello would lead to no change in this operational model.
Public counter services can be accessed at Craigmillar police station and St Leonards Police station which are approximately three miles away. Musselburgh police station, in East Lothian also has front office counter provision.
Speaking about the approved disposal, Superintendent Murray Tait said: “Portobello is a very large Victorian building and has continued to incur significant annual running costs and ongoing repairs and maintenance.
“I realise that for many, the physical presence of Portobello police station has provided reassurance and confidence to the local community over the years. However, it’s important to clarify that operational police officers have not been stationed in the building since 2016.
“Community and response officers will continue to actively patrol the Portobello area We are committed to maintaining a strong presence and ensuring the safety of the community.
“Some respondents to the consultation expressed concern about crime during busy summer periods when the town sees greater visitor numbers.
“As part of our policing plan, we have increased police resource throughout the summer in Portobello every year and I would reassure residents this will continue.
“With advances in digital technology and our fleet, officers spend most of their time out in communities dealing with calls and helping the public rather than sitting in police stations.
“Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work hard to police the area.
“I would like to assure local residents that our officers will continue to be active, visible and accessible.
“Our officers based at Craigmillar and St Leonards will continue to patrol the east side of the city and the public will receive the same high level of service.”
Copies of the consultation findings have been published on our Engagement Hub.
POLICE are appealing for information after a 17-year-old male was seriously assaulted in Edinburgh.
The incident happened around 11.20pm on Friday night (16 August, 2024), when he was attacked by two men with bladed weapons on Craigentinny Road, close to Christiemillar Avenue.
He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment to serious injuries.
The road was closed for a short time while enquiries were carried out.
The suspects are described as wearing black clothing and they ran from the scene onto Loaning Road.
Detective Inspector Dougal Begg said: “A young man suffered serious injuries and we need to trace those responsible as soon as possible.
“If you were in the Craigentinny Road area on Friday evening and saw or heard anything suspicious, or know who these men are, please contact us.”
Those with information can speak to officers by calling 101 and quoting incident number 4590 of 16 August. Alternatively, you can make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A 52-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a serious assault on Muirhouse Park at around 5.20am yesterday morning (Wednesday, 14 August, 2024).
A 43-year-old woman was taken to hospital for treatment.
This is being treated as an isolated incident and there was no wider risk to the public.
The man is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
First Minister John Swinney held further talks with Police Scotland yesterday to receive a further update on preparedness should any disorder emerge in Scotland over the weekend.
Throughout the week the First Minister has remained in regular contact with Police Scotland to discuss the ongoing situation and support work to promote community cohesion across the country.
Earlier this week he brought faith and refugee community leaders together and held talks with leaders of political parties and Police Scotland to unequivocally condemn all forms of violence, prejudice and Islamophobia.
The First Minister has also written to X, Meta and TikTok to ask what action they are taking to combat the spread of misinformation, and to address racist and hateful material on their platforms.
The First Minister said: “The last few days have been a challenging and worrying time for many with the scenes of violence unfolding in other parts of the United Kingdom.
“I would like to thank Police Scotland for their continued work to protect our communities. Their ongoing engagement across Scotland and enhanced patrols are vital to support community cohesion and ensure public safety.
“We remain vigilant to the potential for disorder in Scotland and I have been reassured by Police Scotland that it has the capability and resources in place to respond should we face similar challenges, and that plans and preparations are in place to ensure everybody is kept safe.
“While officers and staff are doing their part to keep us all safe – there is no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind, and each of us has a responsibility to confront racism and religious prejudice, including islamaphobia, wherever and whenever it appears, and do all we can to strengthen community cohesion.”
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Officers right across Scotland continue to provide reassurance to communities across the country through enhanced patrols and direct engagement.
“You may see more officers in our towns and cities and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure any potential for violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and responded to immediately.”
New Drop-in Alert
When: 26th of August
Where: Pilton Community Health Project, 73 Boswall Parkway, EH5 2PW
What Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
