Scottish Police Arrest 36 in Raid on Vietnamese Crime Syndicate

Scottish police have dismantled a large-scale cannabis cultivation network and arrested 36 people in what is described as one of their biggest operations against a Vietnamese organized crime syndicate involved in human trafficking. Around 300 officers participated in dawn raids on September 23 (local time), targeting 14 cannabis cultivation sites and 47 other locations across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Midlothian, and the Scottish Borders. Local authorities allege the syndicate was involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including human trafficking, drug production, fraud, money laundering, and immigration-related organized crime. The investigation began after Vietnamese criminals were found to be linked to 150 cannabis farms in Scotland last year, leading to the arrest of about 120 "gardeners" and the seizure of £26 million worth of drugs. Detective Chief Inspector Stevie Bertram stated, "This is the biggest human trafficking investigation that Police Scotland has ever undertaken. We wanted to break and dismantle that organization completely. We wanted to do the whole operation in one day and I think we've been spectacularly successful. This line of business will essentially not be able to continue." He added, "All the targets of this operation have been arrested; these are the individuals we believe were running that line." The operation involved coordinated support from the Immigration Enforcement Agency and HM Revenue and Customs. Police believe the group operated across the UK and internationally, working with specialist anti-crime teams in England, Wales, and Ireland. Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) are working closely with authorities in Vietnam. Searches at raided locations included an apartment in Edinburgh where three rooms were found packed with cannabis plants. A seedling tray was also discovered in the kitchen, indicating it was being used as a dwelling. In Dundee, two adjoining apartments were converted into a cannabis farm extending into a shared attic space. Police will now work to determine if any of the arrested individuals are victims of human trafficking. "Vietnamese nationals continue to be the most exploited nationality we are seeing in Scotland," said Bertram. "A lot of work and investigation will start from today. We will be looking at mobile phones, data, and paperwork to ensure that if there are victims of human trafficking, they are identified as victims quickly." Information Source: BBC Vietnamese