Crown Office reveals action against organised criminal shoplifting gangs

Targeted action aganist organised criminal gangs in Scotland who have netted tens of millions of pounds from shoplifting has been revealed by Crown Office.

Solicitor General Lesley Thomson QC said that serious organised criminals "are involved in professional shoplifting on an industrial scale", but specialist prosecutors, working closely with a dedicated police enquiry team, had dismantled a number of groups over the past year and efforts were continuing to put them out of business.

A network of more than 200 organised shoplifters has been identified and will become the focus of renewed activity.

Recovered assets have contributed to a total of more than £8,500,000 secured under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), from offenders that also include brothel keepers, money launderers and drug dealers.

Speaking after the publication of the latest POCA figures, Ms Thomson said: “Organised shoplifting has a huge impact on retailers and their paying customers.

“Crime groups tried turning to shoplifting thinking they could make an easy profit.

“The message to those who commit professional shoplifting could not be clearer: The Crown and the police know who you are and we are ensuring that retailers and customers are protected to the fullest extent of the law by using the latest technology to disrupt your activity."

She added: “We are learning more and more about their tactics and are adapting to disrupt them. We not only pursue convictions, but also their assets, with the aim of depriving them of the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

“We have shown time and again that no matter the nature or scale of the crime, no matter how well an accused thinks they have sheltered themselves from the reach of the law, we will detect them, we will bring them to justice and we will begin the work of dismantling their criminal networks in any form they take.”

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson added: “This Government is committed to tackling the issue of serious organised crime head-on, and the tough actions of our law enforcement agencies means Scotland is getting ever more sophisticated at detecting and preventing criminal activity.

“We are continuously looking at ways to improve efforts to seize criminal assets through the unique partnership working of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, and we will maximise the use of all tools available to outsmart organised criminals wherever they operate."