Scotish detectives believes there may be between 50 and 100 criminal gangs this remains an estimate until the final figures are compiled.One area of concern is the attempts by organised criminals to buy up foreign property and use retired "advisers" to try to hide their assets."We know for a fact that there are a number of people using consultants abroad," he said. "Dubai is a growing area and we see a lot of traffic between Dubai and Scotland from the individuals we are interested in. There is a lot of money being pumped into Dubai and an incredible amount of property development. That is making it attractive to organised crime.
"Historically, the links were with Holland, Belgium and the Costas in Spain and we retain an active interest in these areas."There is increasing moves from organised criminals to buy assets all over the world because of some misguided view that buying assets in other countries gives them some immunity from the Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) but that is not the case."The director-general said he also wants to introduce a more visible means of showing the public what happens to the assets of those involved in organised crime."I would like us to be more public in terms of the seizure of assets," he said. "I would be delighted to put a big sticker across the front of the car or house seized saying this was seized under Poca.
"If you're living in the community you just want someone to give you some relief and we want to give them the comfort of seeing whose assets have been seized.
"It helps people to get the message. There is a perception of organised crime as something with mystique that is somehow removed from the real life like the Sopranos but that is not the case."There is no disconnection between drug deaths and organised crime. The organised criminals brought those drugs into the country in the first place. That is not glamorous."
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