(UKPA) – 12 hours ago

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jWF9llizeWUcvJ94jvwejlCgAfXQ?docId=N0053621300356880986A

Suspected drug traffickers and money launderers will be prosecuted by a new unit dedicated to taking organised crime gangs off Scotland's streets.

The Crown Office said its Serious and Organised Crime Division (SOCD) will focus on those profiting from organised crime.

About 50 specialist staff based in Edinburgh and Glasgow will work on cases involving serious fraud, money laundering, drug and people trafficking and bootlegging.

The division, launched on Thursday by the Solicitor General, is also tasked with seizing cash from criminals under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

Frank Mulholland QC said: "Organised crime groups are a corrosive influence in Scotland and are constantly seeking to find new opportunities to sustain their businesses by way of drug dealing, bootlegging, music piracy, money laundering and people trafficking to name but a few.

"To meet this challenge we must continually evaluate and improve our practices and procedures allowing us to be forward thinking and focused and remain one step ahead of those who see crime as way of life.

"I am confident that this new division with its dedicated specialists will be very effective in tackling serious and organised crime in Scotland."

Deputy chief constable Gordon Meldrum, director general of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), said: "I welcome any new measures that aim to make life more difficult for serious organised crime groups.

"We already have excellent links with the Crown Office, as well as a range of other partners.

"This new dedicated team will make our partnership even stronger and our collective efforts against serious organised crime more effective."