Portfolio: Justice
cies this month announce the creation of
a major taskforce to tackle the gangs.
Led by Strathclyde Police, the taskforce
will include representatives from the other
seven Scottish forces as well as the SCDEA,
Serious Organised Crime Agency, UK
Borders Agency, Crown Office and Procu-
rator-Fiscal Service. Chief among the con-
cerns of the taskforce are that the Asian
Brit
null
ain is
gangs are channelling the millions they
now fourth
make from the cannabis farms into other
in the
criminal activities, like counterfeiting and
people smuggling.
European
On a strategic level, the police are
league table
also deeply concerned about Asian syn-
for cannabis dicates with international links, using
use
their ability to supply large amounts of
amongst
cannabis to form links with established
15-to-24-
criminal networks in Scotland. In Can-
ada, Australia and on the west coast of fact spurring Scottish efforts to deal with Britain is now fourth in the Euro-
year-olds
the US, where the Asian syndicates have the problem while they can. pean league table for cannabis use
come to dominate the cannabis-growing Ironically, this focus on cannabis amongst 15-to-24-year-olds, with 39.5
null
trade, the gangs have become heavily comes at a time when use of the drug, per cent saying they have tried it and 12
involved in importing heroin and meth- especially by young people, is falling. A per cent saying they have used it in the
amphetamine which is then distributed survey of drug use in Europe this month last month. This survey backs up find-
by local gangsters. showed that while the UK consistently ings in the 2007 British Crime Survey,
Due to their tightly structured nature had the highest levels of cannabis use showing that the proportion of 16- to
– and ruthless reputations – these syndi- among school children in the early and 24-year-olds using cannabis has slumped
cates are notoriously hard for police to mid-1990s, it has seen the sharpest decline from 28 per cent a decade ago to 21 per
penetrate once they gain a foothold, a in popularity of any EU country. cent now. HM
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www.holyrood.com | Holyrood magazine | 17 November 2008 |
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