Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2025

Collaborating with Police Scotland and HMRC

In 2024, the CRU secured an account forfeiture order following settlement of a case involving drug dealing and money laundering, with £40,050 being remitted to the SCF. The CRU’s investigation commenced after an initial investigation by Police Scotland in relation to the laundering of money obtained from drug dealing through the individual’s business.

The CRU has successfully recovered funds held in accounts linked to identity fraud. In three cases, Police Scotland obtained account freezing orders in relation to the accounts which had been opened fraudulently using stolen identities. A total of just over £49,300 was remitted to the SCF.

In 2024, the CRU concluded one of its frozen funds investigations with the sum of just under £30,000 being paid over to the SCF. Following initial work by HMRC, the CRU began its investigation to establish that the funds subject to its investigation derived from unlawful conduct, namely benefit fraud and supply of controlled drugs. To secure this successful outcome, the CRU worked with, and relied on material from, Police Scotland and Border Force to recover these proceeds from crime.