Task force to target drug farms

Police forces are cracking down on cannabis cultivation

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.

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.

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.

"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."