A world class crime fighting hub which enables over 20 agencies to work together has helped to dismantle organised crime and seize illegal drugs and firearms for over 10 years.

Key agencies, including the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the National Crime Agency today, Wednesday 14 August, outlined some of the successful work co-ordinated at the Scottish Crime Campus, Gartcosh, including:

• Operation Escalade - an international and multi-agency operation, which over a number of years saw several men convicted of serious organised and drug offences. It also resulted in the conviction of Christopher Hughes, a major figure in Scotland’s serious organised crime network, for the murder of Martin Kok in the Netherlands network. Hughes was sentenced to life in jail for the crime.
• Operation Venetic – the operation, which culminated in the takedown of an encrypted communication service used exclusively by criminals, is regarded as one of the most significant ever UK operation to disrupt serious organised crime in the UK. The operation resulted in millions of pounds worth of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and Etizolam tablets being recovered and has seen hundreds of people being arrested for serious organised crime offences and being jailed.
• Operation Screenplay – the partnership operation which resulted in the seizure of 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth £512m in 2015 from a tug boat intercepted 100 miles off the Aberdeen coast, which at the time was the UK’s biggest ever seizure and saw two men jailed for a total of 42 years.

Fiona Douglas, Director of SPA Forensic Services which has state of the art laboratories and forensic firearms experts based in the campus said:

“The world class facilities at the Scottish Crime Campus allow Forensic Services to work closely with partners to provide the excellent, innovative forensic services which support justice in Scotland and keep our communities safe and protected. The many successes over the past decade include the Forensic Services Cold Case Review Team, who have worked closely with Police Scotland and COPFS colleagues on more than 70 cold cases.”

Justice Secretary and chair of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Angela Constance said: “The Scottish Crime Campus has led to a major change in how organisations share information and develop opportunities to detect and disrupt criminality. I want to thank all the agencies that work effectively together through the Campus that strengthen the fight against international criminals and congratulate them on their successes over the last decade.”

Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “A key priority for our single national police service was to enhance and expand how we worked with other agencies to keep the communities of Scotland safe – which requires collaboration at international, UK and regional levels as well as a range of skills and powers which policing alone cannot deliver.

“The Scottish Crime Campus is a world class hub for the joined-up working needed to smash serious organised crime and protect the public and the important outcomes outlined today are evidence of its ongoing success.”

Built at a cost of approximately £73million on the site of the former steelworks in North Lanarkshire and modelled on the curved shape of a DNA particle, the Scottish Crime was opened in June 2014 by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.

The building is used by around 1,100 workers and supports the work of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which drives activity across four identifiable strands to tackle Serious Organised Crime – Detect, Disrupt, Divert and Deter.

As well as the founding partners, the campus also accommodates “embeds” from a further 16 organisations ranging from the Security Industry Authority to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Read more about Scotland’s approach to tackling serious organised crime, including the serious organised crime strategy, published in 2022.