Men face court as cops raid campsite
Arrests after claims of organised crime
Published:
DOZENS of police officers raided a North-east Travellers’ camp as part of a major probe into alleged organised crime.
The operation centred on claims of a large scale distribution of drugs, racketeering, threats, intimidation and violence towards people.
Concrete rubble blocking the road was shifted by a digger to allow teams of specialist search officers access to the official Travellers’ site in Elgin.
Police will be hunting for evidence over the coming days among abandoned cars, skips and rubbish.
Officers arrested three men and searched a number of properties in and around the Chanonry Caravan Site.
Grampian Police have made intensive investigations for several months into the alleged offences in and around the site.
Superintendent Alan Smailes, commander of Moray Division who is leading the probe, said: “This has been a long running inquiry carried out by Grampian Police involving an organised crime gang operating in the Moray area.
“I have no doubt that the action we are undertaking will send out a clear and very strong message to those involved in serious crime in the Moray area. We will not tolerate such activity and we will take positive action to present those involved before the courts.”
Chief Inspector Hugh Mackie said the three men arrested were from the Moray area.
“We are continuing our search for evidence in relation to crimes in the Moray area,” he said.
“We are focusing on and around the Chanonry caravan park area.
“It will take some time for the search to be concluded.”
The three men – aged 33, 36, and 40 – were due to appear at Elgin Sheriff Court today.
A police spokesman said officers were likely to be at the site for “a few days”..
Superintendent Smailes said the police would be looking for co-operation and assistance from people in Moray as the force’s inquiries progress.
Councillor Douglas Ross, a member of Grampian Joint Police Board, said: “This extends far wider than Elgin, and indeed far wider than Moray. There have been incidents in Inverness and further afield. The police have gone to a lot of effort over a lot of time and it is now really up to the public, who should be comforted by the fact that these people have been detained.”
Councillor Martin Greig, convener of Grampian Joint Police Board, said: “The alleged unlawful activities organised and carried out by these people will have brought substantial misery and suffering to many people in the area.”
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said the operation would send out a “strong message” to criminals throughout Scotland that their activities will not be tolerated.
Elgin City North councillor Mike Shand said: “When crimes like racketeering, drug distribution and intimidation are talked about most people do not think of Moray. However, where there are drugs in circulation, this type of crime is not far away and I am pleased that a major breakthrough appears to have happened.”
