News In Focus
19 October 2007
Taskforce to tackle 'cancer' of organised crime
The new Serious Organised Crime Taskforce will bring together specialist crime-fighting expertise, skills and knowledge to tackle the “cancer” of organised crime, according to Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
The taskforce will meet for the first time in Edinburgh next Monday. Its membership includes the government, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Serious Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).
Mr MacAskill said the Scottish Government was determined to pursue organised crime and that the new task force would bring together bring together the relevant experts.
He said: "Organised crime is a cancer in Scotland. It undermines legitimate business, damages our economic potential, and brings misery to people's lives through crime and addiction.
"The use of forensic accountancy by the SCDEA gives us an important new weapon in that fight, meaning that criminals will find it increasingly difficult to hide their money in the legitimate businesses they set up to launder their ill gotten gains.
"The SCDEA is working towards recruiting more specialists to increase the size of the Scottish Money Laundering and E-crime units – something that this government is keen to encourage.
"The criminal underworld's Mr Bigs and their henchmen should be under no illusion that this government will use all means at its disposal to put them out of business and off the streets."