Police Scotland chief constable reveals name of gang feud investigation

Scotland’s top police officer has said more than 30 people have been arrested in an investigation into a gang feud which she revealed was known as Operation Portaledge.

In a report for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) board meeting on Thursday, Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell revealed publicly for the first time the name of the operation into the gang war, which flared up in March and escalated in April.

She pledged to make Scotland “a hostile environment for those involved in organised crime” and praised forensics officers “for their contribution to what is one of our largest ongoing investigations”.

Ms Farrell said 35 people have been arrested in the Glasgow and Edinburgh regions, 14 stolen vehicles recovered and 3,000 hours of CCTV footage reviewed, and the investigation is a priority for forensics teams.

She described the attacks as “targeted” and said armed police were involved in arrests, as well as praising fire crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) following a spate of firebombings.

Ms Farrell said: “This month, I provide an overview of disruption and enforcement, including dozens of arrests, in response to targeted attacks in the east and west of Scotland, under Operation Portaledge.

“I want to begin by condemning the actions of those involved and thanking our communities for their support and assistance in making Scotland a hostile environment for those involved in organised crime. I also want to recognise and thank Scottish Police Authority Forensics for their contribution to what is one of our largest ongoing investigations.

“We’ll continue to work with partners at international, national, regional and local levels to clear organised crime and I want to thank colleagues in local authorities and the Scottish Fire and Rescue for their support.

“A dedicated team from our specialist crime division has been working since March to investigate targeted attacks in both the east and west.

“This is one of the largest investigations we have ongoing in Police Scotland. A total of 35 arrests have already been made, 14 stolen vehicles have been recovered, and 3,000 hours of CCTV footage has been reviewed.

“Local officers have been carrying out intelligence-led patrols to disrupt the activities of criminals.

“Armed policing officers have been using specialist skills to support the operation and safely carry out arrests.

“There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, including exploring forensic opportunities and analysis of digital devices.

“We want to thank our colleagues at SPA Forensics for prioritising this work and ensuring our officers have the results and resources to make arrests quickly and bring people to court.

“The public can be assured we are working tirelessly to build cases and are following a number of significant lines of enquiry.

“We have had a good response to our appeals and I want to thank the public for their help and information so far.

“The support of our communities is vital in tackling serious organised crime, preventing violence and getting justice for victims.”