Thirty-six people have been arrested in what Police Scotland has described as the largest and most coordinated human trafficking operation in the force’s history.
Around 300 police officers were deployed during the nationwide operation on Wednesday, targeting a suspected Vietnamese organised crime network believed to be linked to human trafficking, labour exploitation, immigration offences and large-scale cannabis cultivation.
Officers carried out coordinated activity at 47 properties across Scotland, including addresses in Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Midlothian, the Scottish Borders and Fife.
Two people were arrested in Fife as part of the operation.
Police executed 35 warrants and discovered 14 suspected cannabis cultivation sites during the raids.
A number of people believed to be potential victims of human trafficking were also found at several of the properties and removed from the locations.
Further arrests were made in Birmingham, while related enforcement activity had taken place in Northern Ireland earlier in the week.
The investigation was led by Police Scotland’s National Human Trafficking Unit alongside Home Office Immigration Enforcement and HM Revenue & Customs.
Detective Superintendent Stevie Bertram, head of the National Human Trafficking Unit, said the enforcement action followed a lengthy and complex multi-agency investigation.
He said human trafficking is a serious form of organised crime in which vulnerable people can be exploited for financial gain, sometimes within communities where the offending remains largely hidden.
Police Scotland said its priority is to identify and protect potential victims while disrupting organised crime groups and bringing those responsible for exploitation before the courts.
Specialist assistance was also available to people identified as potential trafficking victims during the raids.
Justice & Care deployed two trained Victim Navigators to support those recovered during the operation.
The Victim Navigator programme provides independent, trauma-informed assistance to people affected by trafficking and exploitation, both immediately following their identification and during their longer-term recovery.
Debi Lloyd, Head of Counter-Trafficking at Justice & Care, said the approach focuses on the individual, helping survivors rebuild trust, regain independence and make their own choices.
Police Scotland said targeted enforcement activity will continue as officers investigate suspected trafficking and exploitation networks operating across the country.
Investigations into the alleged organised crime network remain ongoing.
