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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Task force to target drug farms | Task force to target drug farms |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A Scottish police task force has been set up to target large-scale cannabis growing and serious crime. | |
| Operation League - the current police bid to combat cannabis-related crime - has already shut down 143 cannabis farms, leading to 127 arrests. | Operation League - the current police bid to combat cannabis-related crime - has already shut down 143 cannabis farms, leading to 127 arrests. |
| More than 69,500 plants have been recovered with an estimated yield value of about £21.6m. | More than 69,500 plants have been recovered with an estimated yield value of about £21.6m. |
| The new task force, led by Strathclyde Police, will share information across all of Scotland's forces. | |
| 'Important step' | 'Important step' |
| Det Ch Supt Stephen Whitelock, director of intelligence for Strathclyde Police, said: "Across Scotland officers working under the banner of Operation League have made a substantial number of arrests and dismantled over 100 cannabis cultivation sites. | |
| "This has had a significant impact and caused considerable disruption to those involved in organised crime. However, the threat remains and further work is required to make Scotland hostile to organised crime. | "This has had a significant impact and caused considerable disruption to those involved in organised crime. However, the threat remains and further work is required to make Scotland hostile to organised crime. |
| "The establishment of a joint task force is an important step in that process and the sharing of information and intelligence will make a huge contribution to tackling this issue and will help us identify further sites and arrest the people involved. " | "The establishment of a joint task force is an important step in that process and the sharing of information and intelligence will make a huge contribution to tackling this issue and will help us identify further sites and arrest the people involved. " |
| He added: "The message from Operation League is that through our coordinated approach with the public, the media, with the police forces, agencies and with the wider public and private sector; Scotland is not an easy option and their illegal activities will be detected." | He added: "The message from Operation League is that through our coordinated approach with the public, the media, with the police forces, agencies and with the wider public and private sector; Scotland is not an easy option and their illegal activities will be detected." |