Further four men arrested in relation to violent gang-war incidents

Police have arrested a further four men in relation to violent incidents in the east and west of Scotland, all of whom were brought in under suspicion of fire-raising at properties in Edinburgh and Lanarkshire.

On Friday morning, officers raided addresses in Edinburgh, Whitburn and Bathgate.

The men, 18, and another man, 31, were arrested and charged in connection with a fire-raising at a house on Pitcairn Grove, Edinburgh, which took place on Thursday May 8.

The fire-raising is part of a suspected gang-related feud.

One of the 18-year-olds, along with the 31-year-old, was also charged in connection with a fire-raising at a business in Cumbernauld Road, Stepps, on the same date.

They are all expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday May 26.

Also in the past week, a 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with two attempted murders and a fire-raising in Glasgow and Bishopbriggs in April.

These are being treated as part of a series of linked incidents in the west and east of Scotland and a total of 41 people have now been arrested.

Police are also treating a “targeted attack” on a 54-year-old man as being linked to the suspected gang feud across Scotland’s central belt.

The attack in Edinburgh’s Pitcairn Grove on Thursday evening involved four or five men dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas.

They got out of a grey Land Rover Discovery before carrying out the assault.

Police said they were alerted to the incident at about 9.20pm, and confirmed they are treating it as attempted murder.

Extensive inquiries remain ongoing and a dedicated team of officers from Police Scotland’s Specialist Crime Division, with support from local divisions across the country, continue to work together to gather evidence.

Detective chief superintendent Dave Ferry said: “I want to reiterate that violence will not be tolerated and we will not stop until we bring those responsible to justice.

“We continue to work tirelessly and are following a number of positive lines of inquiry.

“The support of our communities is absolutely vital when it comes to tackling serious organised crime, preventing violence and getting justice for victims. I want to again thank the public for their continued help and information so far.

“If you know anything about these dangerous and abhorrent acts, please do the right thing and speak to us.”

Regarding the attack involving the Land Rover, detective superintendent Paul Grainger previously said on Friday: “This has been a targeted attack and we are continuing our inquiries to identify those responsible.

“We know the Land Rover Discovery drove along the M8 eastbound last night.

“It may have been driven at speed or erratically, so I would appeal to any motorists with dashcams to check their footage as the images could be significant to our investigation.

“If anyone has any information regarding this crime, please contact us.”

Anyone with information on the Land Rover is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3866 of Thursday May 22.

Anyone with information on the further four arrests made on Friday morning is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 0562 of Friday March 21 2025.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.