Urgent concerns raised for man's welfare after going missing in Scots city
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
How gangsters' dirty money could be used to crush serious organised crime
Cash seized from gangsters should be used by police to tackle a surge in serious organised crime, a watchdog has said. Craig Naylor, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, said ill-gotten gains should be directed to funding the fight against gangland crime. He said the return of 'significant violence and disorder associated with serious organised crime groups' meant the problem was 'increasingly complex'. It comes amid a spate of violence involving rival crime groups in Scotland and beyond – including the fatal shootings of two men who were both major players in the Glasgow-based Lyons crime clan in a bar in Spain. In his annual report, Mr Naylor called for an Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS), where Police Scotland – and other approved bodies – could receive money raised from criminals' seized assets to spend directly on fighting crime. A similar scheme is already operational in the rest of the UK. Cash seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is currently paid into government funds under a scheme called CashBack for Communities. Since 2008, £156million has been spent on community initiatives such as playparks to 'improve the quality of life' of young people. Mr Naylor said: 'The Home Office encourages agencies to invest ARIS funds into areas that will increase asset recovery or, where appropriate, to fund local crime fighting priorities. This process is not applicable in Scotland.' During 2023-24 more than £10million was recovered in Scotland using Proceeds of Crime legislation. Elsewhere in the UK 'proceeds of crime' assets to the value of £243million were recovered during 2023-24. From this, £98.1million of ARIS money was distributed to fund crime-fighting. Mr Naylor said gangland incidents are 'often contained within a limited geographical area, but on this occasion have stretched across the east and west regions of the country'. Meanwhile, a report by forensics experts submitted to the Scottish Police Authority said the pressure of work caused by gangland crime was impacting on other routine casework. It said that further overtime is being 'worked across the relevant teams, however there will inevitably be an impact on some of the routine casework being undertaken within the service'. The report added: 'Managers will continue to liaise with Police Scotland and COPFS (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service) colleagues to ensure that this does not impact on high priority casework.' Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: 'Disrupting organised crime remains a priority for the Scottish Government. 'Money recovered through the POCA is primarily used to fund community projects aimed at diverting young people away from crime. James 'The Don' White and Jamie 'Iceman' Stevenson were both involved in international drug smuggling. Stevenson orchestrated a plot to smuggle cocaine worth £100m from South America in boxes of bananas and is currently serving a 16 year jail term. White was extradited from Brazil and in August 2023 jailed for 10 years for serious organised crime and firearms offences.
The Courier
an hour ago
- The Courier
Man, 22, dies and second man fighting for his life after crash on Fife and Kinross-shire border
A 22-year-old man has died and a second man is fighting for his life after a crash on the Fife and Kinross-shire border. The collision, involving a black Seat Leon, happened shortly before 11pm on Sunday on the B996 road between Kelty and Kinross, near Blairadam. Emergency services, including four ambulances and a trauma team, attended the scene. The road was closed until 10.30am on Monday. A 22-year-old male passenger in the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The 21-year-old male driver was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with life-threatening injuries, while a 20-year-old male passenger was also hospitalised with serious injuries. A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: 'We received a call at 10.51pm on Sunday to attend a road traffic collision on the B996 in Kelty. 'We dispatched four ambulances, our special operations team and our trauma team to the scene. 'We transported two patients to Ninewells Hospital.' Police Scotland has issued an appeal to the public for information. Sergeant David Farr said: 'My thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died at this difficult time. 'I would urge anyone who may have been in the area around the time of the crash and witnessed what happened, or has any dashcam footage which could assist, to please get in touch with officers.'
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Friends of mum killed in 'murder-suicide' urged not to attend husband's funeral
The children of a Scots woman who was reportedly killed in murder-suicide at the hands of her husband have asked that her friends not attend his funeral. The bodies of Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, originally from Musselburgh, were discovered by a neighbour at their home in Les Pesquiés, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, France in February. The couple had lived in the area for around ten years and were 'well integrated' into the community. Following a post-mortem, French police confirmed that Searle died from hanging and Ms Kerr suffered 'several blows to the skull using a blunt and sharp object'. Prosecutor Fabrice Belargent said that 'the analysis carried out did not so far show any evidence that a third party was involved'. In a statement shared on social media, Ms Kerr's son, musician Callum Kerr, and sister Amanda, said that the 'prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide'. STV News Dawn Kerr and Andrew Searle were found dead at their home in France They added: 'There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party's involvement at this stage. 'While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.' The children have asked that their mother not be included in 'any way' in the funeral arrangements being made for Searle. Their statement adds: 'Please do not share photographs of them together. 'Please do not attend Andrew's service if you were a friend of our mother. 'It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. 'We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.' A statement issued by French prosecutors in February said: 'The two deceased persons, a man and a woman, were the owners of the house in which their bodies were discovered. 'They were British expatriates, retired, and had been living in Aveyron for five years. 'The first victim, Ms Kerr, has a significant head injury. 'A box containing jewellery was found near to her, but no item or weapon which could have caused the injuries were located. 'Mr Searle, who was found hanged … did not show any visible defensive injuries.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
