Man charged with 'exploiting vulnerable young people' in retail crime crackdown
A man has been charged with 'exploiting vulnerable young people' as cops crackdown on retail offences linked to organised crime.
Following enquiries through Operation Dynos, officers believe that vulnerable young people are being targeted by organised criminals to steal alcohol from stores across the west of Scotland.
The stolen goods are then resold, with profits being used to purchase drugs and fund further criminal activity within the region.
On Thursday, July 17 a 22-year-old man was arrested in Hamilton in connection with organised crime and exploitation of young people.
He was due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, July 18.
Operation Dynos is funded by Police Scotland's Retail Crime Taskforce, which was formed following a £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government for the year 2025/26 to tackle a rise in retail crime across the country.
Officers working as part of the ongoing operation have been gathering intelligence over the last couple of months.
Detective Inspector Vicki Douglas, who leads Operation Dynos, said: 'Retail crime is not victimless and in fact, what we've seen are some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities being actively recruited and indoctrinated into the theft and resale of goods from stores in the region by organised criminals for their financial gain.
'We are committed to tackling retail crime, while at the same time safeguarding young people from harm and coercion into criminal behaviour.
'Operation Dynos will continue to gather evidence and utilise all resources at our disposal to bring these individuals to justice.
'Meanwhile, our colleagues within the Retail Crime Taskforce will work alongside retailers to help enhance security measures and ensure all aspects of crime prevention are considered."
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