Now 3,000 gangsters menace our streets... in 164 criminal clans
SCOTLAND faces a growing menace from organised crime – with more than 3,000 gangsters and nearly 170 syndicates, the ‘British FBI’ has warned.
‘The threat is increasing’ and is fuelled by a rise in the number of deadly feuds involving rival criminal gangs, according to a National Crime Agency report.
Last month Kenny Reilly, 29, became the latest victim of Glasgow’s gang war after being shot in the head by a masked gunman as he sat in the passenger seat of a silver BMW at traffic lights.
The murder came after Euan Johnston, 26, was shot twice in the head as he sat in his car in Glasgow in November 2016.
Amid the growing violence, the NCA has warned that nearly 80 per cent of criminal organisations are now linked to semi-legitimate businesses, using them as fronts for their illegal activities.
The assessment raises questions over the effectiveness of attempts to crack down on gangsters – not least Justice Secretary Michael Matheson’s claim ‘huge strides’ are being made to tackle organised crime.
Last night Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said: ‘We need police on the streets talking to people, understanding the local situation and stopping the violence before more people get hurt.’
The NCA report states there are 164 known organised crime groups (OCGs), comprising 3,282 individuals, being investigated by police and partner agencies in Scotland.
It says: ‘The escalation in threat is, in part, linked to the ongoing feuds, violence and firearms incidents relating to OCGs in the Central Belt.’
The groups posing the greatest threat are ‘predominantly involved in violence, moneylaundering, and drugs’.
The report, written in asso- ciation with Police Scotland, adds that of those groups, 86 per cent have used violence and intimidation, 79 per cent are linked to at least one quasilegitimate business, and 64 per cent have access to firearms.
NCA director general Lynne Owens said: ‘The increasing sophistication of crime groups demonstrates more than ever the requirement for an increasingly co-ordinated response.’
The Scottish Government said: ‘There must be no respite in tackling organised crime and the harm it causes.’