Police have seized about £25 million worth of drugs and arrested almost 80 people in a three-month crackdown on alleged organised crime.
A haul of heroin, cannabis and laundered cash is said to have been unearthed during a series of major operations in 2019.
These included Operation Shoreditch, which focused on an alleged “international crime group” working in the west of Scotland said to have been involved in laundering “millions”.
As part of this police initiative, drugs worth £20 million were also apparently recovered. Eleven men were arrested and charged in connection with the activities.
Elsewhere, as part of Operation Demolish more than 20 people from Glasgow and Lanarkshire were charged after heroin worth about £1.5 million was found.
In Glasgow, Operation Track led to 46 arrests and the seizure of £280,000 in cash and drugs.
It comes as Police Scotland’s latest management information report for the second quarter of 2019 reveals that 12 “serious organised crime groups” were hit by police activity in July.
Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “Tackling serious organised crime remains one of our key priorities. Our performance report describes how we are continuing to make progress and have an impact on those involved.
“By working with a wide range of partners, such as colleagues in the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, we are absolutely committed to keeping our communities safe by disrupting the activities of these groups.
“This report also sets out our work as part of the Scottish Government’s drug death taskforce to seek long-term, sustainable solutions to the complex issues behind substance misuse, which will not be tackled by enforcement action alone.”
