MORE than 300 international “most wanted” criminals have been caught in Jamaica, Spain, Portugal and Thailand in the first two years of the Scottish Crime Campus.
International fugitives suspected of crimes including sex abuse, firearms offences, stalking and murder have been apprehended since the SCC began operations.
Some had fled abroad and were wanted by Scottish authorities, while others were in Scotland having fled justice elsewhere.
The figures were revealed by Police Scotland as it marked two years since the Scottish Crime Campus (SCC) in North Lanarkshire opened its doors and started work. Overall, the Gartcosh campus has targeted more than 440 organised criminals understood to make up 22 serious and organised crime groups on the SCC’s radar.
The facility is home to 14 law enforcement organisations including HM Revenue and Customs, the Crown Office, the National Crime Agency and SPA Forensic Services.
Visiting the building yesterday, Chief Constable Phil Gormley of Police Scotland described it as “one of the most impressive law enforcement hubs in the world”.
He said: “The impact which the Scottish Crime Campus has had in just two short years is truly breathtaking.
“It has led to a sea change in how organisations including law enforcement share information and develop opportunities to detect and disrupt criminality.
“Through working more effectively and smarter, through sharing information and intelligence and by linking our resources, if there is a threat posed by criminality connected to any part of the world, we will go and we will seek to nullify it for the benefit of our communities here.”
He added: “The Scottish Crime Campus epitomises the way we can collectively work to counter the threats presented by serious organised crime, violent criminals and terrorism.”
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