Disrupting serious organised crime remains a priority for @ScotGov and partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.
A new report sets out how @SOCTaskforce partners are working hard to target criminals and support communities.
Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with drug offences and handling stolen cars in Midlothian.
On Friday, 10 October, 2025, officers acting under warrant, entered a property in the Newbattle area and seized a significant quantity of drugs and stolen vehicles.
Officers recovered vehicles including motorbikes, quad bikes and electric bikes in today’s operation.
Cocaine and cannabis, with a potential street value of £97,000 has also been seized.
Two men, aged 28 and 23, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 13 October, 2025.
This follows yesterday’s operation in Sherwood Industrial Estate in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. Both operations involved officers from Midlothian, Edinburgh and Forth Valley as officers work together to combat drugs, vehicle theft and serious and organised crime.
Detective Chief Inspector Barry McDaid said: “In the past two days we have recovered a large number of stolen vehicles and removed Class A drugs from our streets.
“Both these operations have been extremely successful and underline our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.”
Proactive action by Police Scotland saw officers safeguard a number of vulnerable people who are exploited by drug dealers, during a national County Lines intensification week.
County Lines drug dealers from larger cities expand their criminal activity into smaller communities to exploit young and vulnerable people to sell drugs, carry cash and weapons – bringing violence, coercion and abuse. They can also take over a vulnerable person’s house – known as cuckooing.
The UK-wide initiative – co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) – took place between Monday, 23 and Monday, 30 June 2025.
During the intensification week, officers across Scotland safeguarded over 100 vulnerable people and engaged with almost 2800 more. They also visited more than 40 addresses believed to be used by drug dealers as a cuckooing house.
Illegal drugs, cash and offensive weapons were also recovered.
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: “Protecting vulnerable people in our communities, particularly children and young people who are all too often coerced, groomed and threatened by County Lines drug dealers remains a priority for Police Scotland officers.
“We work tirelessly in partnership with a wide range of organisations, including the members of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, to target individuals who snare them and force them to carry out crimes on their behalf.”
Throughout the intensification week 42 people – 34 men, seven women and one male youth – were arrested and 15 evidential search and apprehension warrants were executed.
More than 300 cannabis plants with a value of value of £280,000 were recovered.
Other illegal drugs, including £67,000 of herbal cannabis, more than £2,100 of cannabis resin, cocaine and crack cocaine with a street value of more than £85,000 and heroin worth around £45,000 were also seized.
Offensive weapons, including knives, an axe and a machete, were discovered during the activity by officers.
ACC Houston continued: “The positive results during the intensification week are an example of our continuing work in support of national initiatives aimed at frustrating and disrupting the activities of those who involved in County Lines drugs dealing.
“Organised criminals don’t care about anyone other than themselves, they only care about power and money.
“They travel to exploit vulnerable people in our communities and their criminality is simply not welcome in Scotland and will not be tolerated.”
Justice Secretary, and Chair of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, Angela Constance said: “I welcome Police Scotland’s positive outcomes from the county lines intensification week, which has safeguarded a number of individuals. It is despicable that organised criminals seek to benefit by exploiting young and vulnerable people.
“Partners on Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce are fully committed to using all means at their disposal to identify and support those at risk, and to ensure the criminals involved are brought to justice.”
Anyone who has concerns about County Lines or information about who may be involved in this insidious criminal activity should get in touch with Police Scotland or anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
More than £22 million worth of drugs have been removed from Scotland’s streets so far this year.
This follows a number of significant seizures across the country.
In January, officers recovered cannabis valued at £3,600,000 in Greenock and £2,250,000 in Dundee.
Cannabis worth £1,700,000 was recovered in Falkirk in February, and £2,300,000 worth was located in Galashiels in March.
In Glasgow, cocaine worth £1,800,000 was seized in June.
There were also large recoveries in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Lothian and Borders, Fife and Lanarkshire.
Arrests have been made in connection with the majority and enquiries remain ongoing into the other cases.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry said: “These seizures highlight our dedication to tackling drug crime in Scotland.
“Controlled substances are dangerous and cause real harm to individuals, families and communities. They are illegal for that very reason.
“Working closely with our partners, we remain focused on targeting individuals and organised crime groups, who selfishly exploit vulnerable people solely for their own financial gain.
“This shows our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.
“Results like these rely on the public and anyone with information or concerns about drugs should contact Police Scotland on 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Four men have been jailed for a total of over 18 years after pleading guilty to being involved in serious organised crime in Edinburgh.
Dale Cleeton, 31, was jailed for seven years, Calvin Begbie, 30, for six years, Fraser Boyd, 51, for three years and Mitchell Whyte, 24, for 32 months.
Cleeton and Begbie were also given Serious Crime Prevention Orders for three years.
They were convicted on Friday, 3 May, 2024 at the High Court in Glasgow and were sentenced there this morning, Friday, 7 June.
Detective Inspector Mark McCullagh, senior investigating officer for the case, said: “These men and their organised crime group were a significant factor in the trade of illegal drugs in Edinburgh and The Lothians.
“They caused nothing but harm in pursuit of their own gain.
“Their activities were uncovered by an intelligence-led operation by specialist officers working in Edinburgh. Disrupting the activities of organised crime groups and making the country an extremely hostile environment for them to operate is one of Police Scotland’s top priorities.
“There is no place for serious organised criminality in our society and, working in partnership with the local communities we serve, law enforcement agencies and the members of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, we will continue our fight against those involved in serious and organised crime to keep our communities safe.”
Frontline workers, including in schools and the NHS, are being given new guidance to help prevent children and vulnerable adults from being drawn into organised crime.
The first document of its kind in Scotland, the ‘Practitioner Guidance on Criminal Exploitation’ stems from work commissioned last year by the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.
It aims to support a shared understanding of criminal exploitation and to help professionals identify those at risk from serious organised crime.
This includes watching out for signs such as: individuals travelling to different areas or locations they would not usually visit; changes in peer groups; and individuals who may have been groomed by crime gangs appearing agitated and nervous about answering calls, or texts and going out.
The guidance will be made available to all front-line workers – including in social work, policing, the NHS, education settings and the third-sector – who come into regular contact with children and vulnerable adults.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Criminal exploitation of anyone, and particularly the vulnerable is truly abhorrent and can leave victims feeling trapped with nowhere to turn while experiencing violence, intimidation, and threats.
“This new guidance seeks to help end that cycle, giving people who work with children and vulnerable adults the confidence to act, enabling help to be more quickly delivered to those that need it.
“Scotland’s organised crime gangs are not confined to the big cities, and they seek to exploit people across the country, impacting everyone. Understanding this and how this despicable practice can finally be ended is crucial in supporting the strong partnerships we have created to tackle these illegal groups.
“We all pay the price for their callous disregard for the law. This guidance is an important step towards better helping victims of exploitation and stifling the organised criminals of the lifeblood they need to keep operating.”
Paul Carberry, Chair of Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Divert strand, said: “This guidance will give professionals from across multiple agencies more comprehensive knowledge, understanding and develop a wider perspective about criminal exploitation.
“It is essential frontline public professionals, such as NHS, Social Work, and school staff, as well as Police Scotland, recognise the signs and have a shared knowledge of criminal exploitation.
“The work of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce will help Scotland realise a vision where all individuals are free from criminal exploitation. This guidance will take us one step further in that aim.”
