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Crime bosses taken off streets
28/06/2007
There has been a huge rise in the number of serious crime 'kingpins' netted by Scotland's leading crime agency in the last year.
The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency's (SCDEA) annual report for 2006-07 shows a 73 per cent increase in the number of high level criminals - the so-called Mr Bigs - taken off the streets, from 26 to 45.
Total arrests increased overall by 42 per cent from 134 to 190.
Justice Secretary Justice Kenny MacAskill said:
"Organised crime causes misery to the people of Scotland. It undermines legitimate business, damages our economy and is a cancer on our communities.
"The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency has had an impressive track record in bringing down these organised gangs and crime networks. The SCDEA is to be congratulated on its work over the last year which has seen the removal from our streets of 190 criminals, including 45 of the criminal fraternity's so-called kingpins.
"This government wants to send out a message to these gangsters around Scotland and further afield that there are no untouchables in our society. We will pursue them with vigour and we will be uncompromising in pursuing those who peddle drugs and other criminal activities.
"We want to build on the success of the SCDEA by bringing together specialist expertise, skills and knowledge in a Serious Crime Taskforce to achieve successful investigations and, more importantly, prosecutions.
"The criminal underworld's Mr Bigs and their henchmen should be under no illusion that this government is determined to put them out of business and off the streets."