The SNP Government has revealed new figures which show that over £5.5 million was seized from criminal networks in Scotland last year under Proceeds of Crime legislation. The cash has been ploughed back into community projects though the government’s Cashback for Communities initiative. Local MSP Bob Doris has hailed the early success of the scheme and has described plans to give the public a far greater role in the fight against organised crime as a 'real breakthrough'.

The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency in conjunction with Crimestoppers will be making it easier for citizens to come forward with information on serious crime. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill MSP outlined the plans at a meeting in Dundee where the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce published its first progress report on Scotland's national strategy to tackle serious organised crime.

Welcoming the recommendations, Bob Doris MSP commented: "Communities across Glasgow have nothing to fear and everything to gain from the SNP’s hard action against criminal gangs. The Scottish Government has pushed crime to the top of the agenda, with record numbers of police personnel.

“But government, police, and the law enforcement agencies are only part of the picture. The good citizens of Glasgow are key to ridding these streets of the crooks who currently run amok.

“Local people are sick of watching these criminals getting away with drug dealing and racketeering and I think there will be genuine enthusiasm from the public for this initiative.

Key initiatives for the year ahead include:

• campaigns to encourage the public to call the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline with information on cannabis cultivation, fake goods, and drug dealing as well as lavish lifestyles funded by crime;
• active investigation by a coalition of law enforcement agencies of the Top 20 'most harmful' serious organised crime groups in Scotland;
• action against the Top 10 specialist 'facilitators' who act as the financial 'brains' that advise serious organised crime;
• completion of recruitment of 80 additional staff within the SCDEA, and; - opening discussions with the new Home Secretary to devolve responsibility for the proceeds of drug trafficking to Scotland.
  

Notes:

The progress report on Scotland's first multi-agency national strategy to tackle serious organised crime - Letting Our Communities Flourish - is available here.

The SCDEA has committed to delivering four public-facing campaigns with Crimestoppers over the next 12 months to raise public confidence in providing information and intelligence on issues associated with serious organised crime. The first of these will be on cannabis cultivations and is expected to launch before the Autumn. The campaign on lavish lifestyles funded by crime is expected in early 2011.

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Strategy was published on June 2, 2009. The figures published today by COPFS do not include the civil recovery last month of #6.5 million by the Crown - the largest ever sum recovered by the authorities in Scotland.

Last month, the Justice Secretary announced that the amount of cash that can be retained by Scottish Ministers from cases under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is being increased - from £17 million to £30 million each year.