Latest news with #PhilipMarshall
STV News
4 days ago
- STV News
Six charged after investigation into drugs across city
Six people have been charged following an investigation into drugs across Glasgow and North Lanarkshire. Officers from the Organised Crime Partnership Scotland, a specialist team made up of NCA and Police Scotland investigators, arrested the group at addresses across Glasgow and Coatbridge between May 28 and 29. The arrests came after several industrial units were raided in the Glasgow, Stewarton, Paisley and Hamilton areas. Five men and a woman were questioned by officers and charged in connection with the raids. They are due before the Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, May 30. NCA Regional head of Investigations Philip Marshall said: 'These arrests are the culmination of a long-running operation into a group suspected of being involved in the supply of controlled drugs. 'The NCA will continue to work closely with our partners in Police Scotland to protect the public from the risks associated with illegal drugs and target those who are believed to manufacture or supply them. 'Our investigation continues following today's arrests.' Detective chief inspector Laura Sands, Organised Crime Counter Terrorism Unit, said: 'This investigation underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'Drugs cause misery in our communities, and we're committed to working alongside partners to tackle the manufacture and distribution of illegal substances in Scotland. 'Information and support from the public is vital to our work, and I would encourage anyone with concerns about drug activity in their area to contact us via 101.' 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
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Six people arrested in Glasgow as part of 'drugs' probe
The Organised Crime Partnership Scotland, a specialist team made up of National Crime Agency (NCA) and Police Scotland officers, nicked five men and one woman at various addresses across Glasgow and Coatbridge on May 28 and 29. The arrests follow the search of several industrial units in the Glasgow, Paisley, Hamilton, and Stewarton areas. These were executed as part of a joint NCA and Police Scotland probe. The five men and one woman were then questioned by officers. READ NEXT: Teenager, 15, 'stabbed' in 'violent attack' in Glasgow They were charged in connection and expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on May 30. Philip Marshall, NCA Regional Head of Investigations, said: 'These arrests are the culmination of a long-running operation into a group suspected of being involved in the supply of controlled drugs. 'The NCA will continue to work closely with our partners in Police Scotland to protect the public from the risks associated with illegal drugs and target those who are believed to manufacture or supply them. 'Our investigation continues following today's arrests.' READ NEXT: Masked thugs crashed into car whilst fleeing incident Detective Chief Inspector Laura Sands, Organised Crime Counter Terrorism Unit, added: 'This investigation underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'Drugs cause misery in our communities, and we're committed to working alongside partners to tackle the manufacture and distribution of illegal substances in Scotland. "Information and support from the public is vital to our work, and I would encourage anyone with concerns about drug activity in their area to contact us via 101.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Drugs bust sees six arrested during joint operation with organised crime
Five men and a woman were due to appear in court on Friday. Six people have been arrested and charged as part of a long-running investigation into the supply of controlled drugs in Scotland. The joint investigation between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Police Scotland saw the recent search of several industrial units in the Glasgow, Stewarton, Paisley and Hamilton areas. As a result, five men and a woman were arrested at addresses around Glasgow and Coatbridge on Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29, by officers from the Organised Crime Partnership Scotland. The individuals were all questioned before being charged. They were due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday, May 30. NCA Regional Head of Investigations Philip Marshall said: 'These arrests are the culmination of a long-running operation into a group suspected of being involved in the supply of controlled drugs. 'The NCA will continue to work closely with our partners in Police Scotland to protect the public from the risks associated with illegal drugs and target those who are believed to manufacture or supply them. 'Our investigation continues following today's arrests.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Detective Chief Inspector Laura Sands, Organised Crime Counter Terrorism Unit, said: 'This investigation underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country's Serious Organised Crime Strategy. 'Drugs cause misery in our communities and we're committed to working alongside partners to tackle the manufacture and distribution of illegal substances in Scotland. "Information and support from the public is vital to our work and I would encourage anyone with concerns about drug activity in their area to contact us via 101.'
The Independent
18-02-2025
- The Independent
Officers faced ‘smell of death' following Omagh bombing
There was a 'smell of death' in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh bombing, a police officer who responded to the blast has recalled. The Omagh Bombing Inquiry, being held at the Strule Arts Centre, heard evidence from some of the emergency responders who attended the scene of the atrocity in August 1998. Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed when the Real IRA detonated a car bomb in the Co Tyrone town. Philip Marshall, who was duty sergeant at the Omagh police station on the day of the bombing, said it had been an otherwise ordinary and 'beautiful day' prior to the bomb warnings with officers preparing for a carnival to pass through the town. He said he would come to regret the traffic plan initiated for the parade as it involved deploying traffic wardens to an area of the town that would be affected by the eventual bombing. I wanted to run - but I had to do my job Mr Marshall, who retired after just under 30 years of service in 2009 with the rank of chief inspector, said he was told at around 2.30pm the police station had received a bomb warning that used a recognised codeword that had been cited in previous incidents. He said he immediately tasked officers to begin clearing the town centre, focused around the area of the courthouse, which had been mentioned in the warning. He travelled to the area himself in a marked car. Further warnings were issued but Mr Marshall said none of them contained any information on the car's registration, make, model, colour or exact location. 'If we had got any of that, we wouldn't be sitting here today,' he said. He said his colleagues had to clear commercial premises, some domestic dwellings, and buildings such as public houses and bookmakers, adding that it was a 'godsend' that he was able to get other police resources diverted to Omagh to deal with the incident. Mr Marshall said people were diverted away from the courthouse and down Market Street as it was the belief of officers that this would be the safest place to go. However, this turned out to be incorrect moments later as the explosion occurred in Market Street. Mr Marshall said he heard the noise and saw a plume of smoke and 'couldn't believe' the bomb had happened in that part of town. After running to the scene, he said the sheer scale of the casualties was not immediately apparent. 'The first thing that hits you was the noise, you had all the shop burglar alarms going, you had a horrendous amount of screaming, there was also a prevailing smell that was coming up over the street – and the situation just got worse and worse and worse the further you went down Market Street.' In particular, he said there was a 'smell of death' at the scene as people wandered around begging for help while covered in dust and debris from the explosion. Asked if he was in a state of shock, he responded: 'It is very hard to take in initially for the first 30 seconds to one minute, you're just standing there in disbelief. 'But then you have to switch off as a person and you have to remember that you're in charge and you've got to deal with it.' He added: 'I didn't want to be there, absolutely. I wanted to run – but I had to do my job.' Mr Marshall said one of his first actions was to attend to people 'burning to death' while trapped under the engine block of the car that contained the bomb. He added that he had nightmares of the screams he heard. He said some members of the public were 'absolute heroes' in assisting emergency responders on the day as part of a 'joint community effort'. Mr Marshall said there was a vast number of seriously injured people along with others who were obviously dead. Philip Marshall He said it was an incredibly stressful time as it was difficult to identify who to help while people were 'screaming' and 'begging continuously for help'. Mr Marshall paid tribute to young officers who assisted him on that day, adding that he had immense pride in them: 'They were just kids, nearly all probationers or very inexperienced. ' One of them had only six months' service and was barely 19 years old.' He said they were just ordinary young people who were demanded to carry out extraordinary tasks at their first major incident, without complaining about what they were being asked to do. Mr Marshall said he and many others have been suffering from PTSD since the bombing and 'badly needed help'. He said he personally had numerous, constant triggers for intrusive memories relating to the bombing. He told the inquiry there was a 'severe lack of equipment' to deal with the scene. He said he was 'screaming' looking for medically trained people, not realising that they had been instructed to go to hospitals under NHS protocols. He added that people scavenged for bandages and wraps while responders were forced to use curtains and bedsheets as makeshift body bags. He said the process of carefully managing the remains of the deceased was distressing for him and his colleagues, adding that very few of the bodies were in a 'natural state'. The officer said there was also a shortage of vehicles to take people to hospital, adding that it was a 'godsend' when an Ulster Bus arrived. In one instance, Mr Marshall recalled seeing a young infant lying in the window of a premises. 'I was standing there looking at her, and she looked so peaceful. But at that time, I didn't know where my wife and daughter were and my daughter was the same age at that time, and whilst I was standing looking at her thinking 'is that or is that not my daughter', I got the feeling of something nudging my leg.' He looked down, and saw a different body had floated towards him on water rushing from a pipe that had burst in the explosion. Mr Marshall said when he radioed other officers about the climbing death toll, they could not 'fathom the numbers'. A temporary mortuary was established in a nearby army camp as it was determined the local mortuary would not be large enough. There, Mr Marshall and constables began the process of trying to identify the deceased. He described the process as extremely distressing. 'It was like a double whammy. You come out of the hell of that scene where you've been for five hours, you didn't really think you were going to have to do that.' He told the inquiry that the right level of professional help for the police officers who responded was not available. The inquiry heard that the normal response at the time was to 'man up and take a stiff drink to forget'. However, he said he received proper psychological support in recent years and would encourage other people to seek the same. Mr Marshall also said there had been a 'horrendous' series of hoax phone calls in the aftermath of the bombing, 'retraumatising' the community. He said said the community looked upon him as 'the Omagh bomb man', adding: 'Because every time they saw me coming, they ran.' Asked about a part of his written statement that described the perpetrators as 'cruel, twisted and evil', Mr Marshall said: 'When they left that scene, they had all the clues where to tell us exactly where it was, and they chose not to – so they didn't give a damn about the consequences.'
