Cash seized in police raids

Nov 17 2011 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

POLICE have carried out early morning raids across West Lothian in a bid to catch crooks and seize their cash.

As part of Operation Opulent, officers raided the addresses of suspected criminals to curb the actions of those thought to be profiting from crime.

Four raids took place in West Lothian at addresses in Whitburn, Westfield and two in Bathgate.

And as a result of the action, over £4400 in cash was seized, £200 worth of drugs were recovered and 21 vehicle offences were detected.

The operation, which ran for three days last week across Lothian and Borders, is the enforcement phase of the ‘Made From Crime?’ campaign, launched in August, which targets those who are making money illegally.

Officers have used Facebook and Crimestoppers to get intelligence on criminals.

And Livingston-based, DCI Phil Gachagan, said he is pleased by the results of the campaign so far.

He said: “It is important for the public to see that the police are cracking down on criminals.

“We have people here who are committing crime and making money.”

For Lothian and Borders as a whole, over £68,000 pounds in cash has been taken from suspected criminals and £6.5 million worth of assets have been referred for seizure.

Drugs valued at £21,190 and £13,000 worth of counterfeit goods were also seized.

At the launch in August, Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone urged people to make use of anonymous reporting to the independent charity Crimestoppers.

All of this intelligence was gathered and analysed by officers before the enforcement action.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Detective Superintendent David Gordon, head of Lothian and Borders Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit said: “This campaign was deliberately designed to be ambitious and tenacious and target criminals who believed they could live lavish lifestyles from the proceeds of crime.

“The response we had from local communities throughout the intelligence gathering phase was fantastic.

“The months of planning for the enforcement phase have paid off throughout the past few days, and we are delighted with the results.

“We will work with our partners in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensure those arrested in connection with the operation are faced with the full force of the law, and we will also work with the Scottish Government to ensure the money we have seized can be put back into communities.

“This is not the end of our activity and I would appeal to people to continue to come forward with this vital intelligence so that we can actively pursue those living beyond their means.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill praised the operation’s success.

He said: “Every arrest or seizure made by the police is another step towards ridding organised crime from our society and I welcome the progress that has been made by Lothian and Borders Police since the launch of this campaign.

“I thank every member of the public whose information has helped bring those making a comfortable living from crime to justice.”