1. Russell Findlay (West
Scotland) (Con)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take in
response to sanctions announced by US authorities against members
of the Kinahan organised crime group, in light of the group’s
reported connections to Scotland. (S6T-00644)
The Cabinet Secretary for
Justice and Veterans ()
The Scottish Government continues to work with law enforcement
agencies in Scotland and elsewhere to tackle organised crime. We
cannot comment on individual operations, but we will continue to
take any action that we can—as will our partners—within our
current powers to ensure that organised crime groups do not see
Scotland as a safe haven for their assets.
Russell
Findlay
One Kinahan gang member who has been sanctioned is John
Morrissey, along with his Glasgow-based vodka company, Nero
Drinks. However, the Kinahans are not interested in flogging
vodka—their real business is cocaine and heroin. It is widely
known that the cartel is in partnership with Scotland’s Lyons
gang, making vast profits from killing Scots.
The Scottish National Party Government turned its back on the
United Kingdom Government’s project ADDER—addiction, disruption,
diversion, enforcement and recovery—which aims to tackle drug
trafficking through tougher police enforcement. Considering the
international sanctions, will the cabinet secretary rethink that
decision?
I am sorry that Mr Findlay has so quickly adopted his usual
attack-the-SNP mode. There is a very serious issue at the root of
his question, which is the pervasive influence of organised
crime. We and Police Scotland work very effectively with other
agencies, including the National Crime
Agency, to address not only organised crime but issues
with drug gangs. I will continue to support Police Scotland in
those efforts, and to support our joint work with the National Crime
Agency and other partners in Scotland and the UK. That
seems to be a constructive and effective way to go forward,
rather than seeking to throw mud whenever possible.
Russell
Findlay
No mud was thrown on my part, but no answer was given on the
cabinet secretary’s part.
Journalists in Ireland and elsewhere have taken great personal
risks to reveal how the Kinahan cartel’s dirty money has
infiltrated boxing; Tyson Fury and the Scottish world champion
Josh Taylor are among those whom Daniel Kinahan represents.
However, I contend that Scottish football is also contaminated by
drugs money. Last year, the Scottish Government issued a video
warning young players about the risk of being targeted by
organised criminals who pose as advisers. Can the cabinet
secretary tell us, therefore, what tangible action has been taken
against dirty money in boxing and in football in the 12 months
since that video was released?
I have already mentioned the extent to which we work with Police
Scotland and other organisations, including the Scottish Football
Association, on those issues. It is also worth saying that in
taking action, whether against the gangs that Russell Findlay
mentioned or against organised crime more generally, it is often
not the best course of action to lay out exactly what you are
doing as you are doing it.
As I am sure that the member will know, certainly in relation to
sanctions and other actions that are taken against organised
crime groups, the more you telegraph what you intend to do, the
harder it is to find both the evidence and the proceeds of crime
that derive from the activities of those gangs.
We will continue to work with our partners in sport and with the
police to ensure that we take effective action and that people
who are vulnerable, including young sportspeople, are best
protected by taking the advice that they can get from Police
Scotland and other justice partners.
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen
South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
How will the updated serious organised crime strategy enable
Scotland to combat serious organised crime?
It does so by ensuring that we work with organisations, including
those that I have mentioned already, as well as the Convention of
Scottish Local Authorities, the national health service, the
Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers,
the National Crime
Agency, HM Revenue and Customs and others that are
represented on the serious organised crime task force.
We also benefit hugely—despite what was said in the previous set
of questions—from having the crime campus, which is unique in the
UK. It has been commended by most of the justice organisations,
and by the UK Government on a regular basis, given the frequency
of its visits to see how that work is carried out.
The attack on serious organised crime is carried out jointly,
with fantastic co-ordination, at the national crime campus. We
are determined that, despite the occasional brickbats that are
thrown from elsewhere for party-political purposes, we will
continue to work in that way with our agencies in Scotland and
with those across the UK. Of course, we recognise that serious
organised crime does not recognise borders and that our response
to it must therefore be joined up.
