Criminal gangs look to renewables boom to launder millions
ORGANISED criminal gangs in Scotland are eyeing the renewables industry, including windfarms, as a potential way of laundering money, police have said.
The Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) is particularly wary after gangs targeted similar projects abroad.
The agency believes criminals may attempt to use legitimate businesses as a front so they are able to secure large grants that are available in what is a growing industry.
The scam is similar to organised crime securing council contracts, such as taxi accounts and even children’s nurseries. Police have shared intelligence with local authorities in an attempt to stop public money being used to hide the proceeds of crime.
However, Alex Salmond has said that “renewables will be the source of Scotland’s reindustrialisation” and police believe the funding available to those industries will attract crime.
Detective Superintendent Alan Cunningham, of the SCDEA, said: “You have to look at industries that are grant-rich.
“Alex Salmond is talking about some industries in Scotland, and there’s money coming in through grants.”
He added: “I can’t say it’s actually happening, there’s no evidence of that. But what I can say is we know organised criminals are looking to those sites as potential and we know from international experience that they’ve been targeted abroad.
“All I can say is we’ve seen indications that they are examining, looking at those areas.
“They will look at any area where they can conceal wealth.Yes, they can do that in tanning salons but, for the big boys, they want to get in ahead of the game elsewhere.”
And police believe it could only be a matter of time.
“If renewables becomes a big player in the Scottish economy then criminals will try to exploit that, that’s not speculative. That’s from our experience,” Mr Cunningham said.
Advice will be made available to renewables companies to try to keep them out of the clutches of organised crime.
Many Haeburn-Little, of the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC), said: “There are a number of sectors where we know there is already a potential interest in organised crime.
“We will be running a specific campaign to support this SME market, which includes a broad range of events, conferences and a dedicated calendar of communication entitled “make one change” – every month we will focus on one theme, including the renewables market.”
A spokeswoman for Scottish Renewables added: “This reinforces that the renewables industry is very much part of the mainstream economy and is now open to the same kinds of risks as other businesses, such as the threat of organised crime.
“There is no evidence that this is yet a problem, but we will obviously work closely with the SBCC in raising awareness of this issue with our members.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Tackling serious organised crime is a top priority for the Scottish Government and law enforcement agencies. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and other justice partners to identify and disrupt serious organised crime.”
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Comments
There are 18 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
bridgetthecat
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 08:12 PM17, Another f@vck head!
Richard Lionheart
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:02 PMI have said from the Start that AL Gore, Tony Blair and Godron Brown have a lot to answer for in repect of this Manmade Global warming Fiasco rip off. It is one of the biggest scams on the earth and worth trillions. Godron even made it a tradable commodity with The introduction of Carbon trading Schemes. I do think that the Scotsman have gone to far though calling them a criminal gang, this indicates that they do have some form of morals which the aforementioned "politicians" probably do not have! The only answer is to end Green Anarchist Policies NOW = save the Human Race and the Planet
denise davis
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 03:36 PMUnimpressedome (#4), I know a developer who reckons the bond the wind farm companies are required to put up to secure decommissioning is unnecessary, as they can use the value of the scrap metal from the turbines to pay for the eventual costs of reverting the countryside to its former self. Honest! I have this in writing!
Lyndsey W
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 10:24 AMWell what a surprise! Those reports that the mafia was involved in Italy's renewables industry were probably more than a rumour then. So not only are we getting robbed by the government, the energy companies, wind farm developers, greedy landowners - the crimminals are after their slice too. Happy Days! Mr Salmond and Mr Cameron will you please wake up before it is too late and slash these subsidies before you bankrupt us all!
antiparasite
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 01:49 AMI'm 100% sure it wont be the same type of criminals that will get into this as the small fry in Scotland that are in the taxi game and other business that can turn over lots of cash (not nurseries), It'll be the political banker type, non violent unless you include the bombing of nations for profit and all the rest...............
Black Grouse
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:52 PMI have met plenty of spivs working in small speculative wind development companies who one would suppose have only recently given up flogging dodgy timemeshares or clocked motors!
Black Grouse
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:47 PMI am sure that there is also a lot of basic fraud going on. In Spain they have discovered quite a few Solar PV schemes which seemed to be generating power in the dark!
A Friend of Fernando Poo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:01 PMIf definitely happens though: I heard one dodgy type saying he was going to spend all his ill-gotten gains on "blow". Clearly he meant wind turbines.
A Friend of Fernando Poo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:00 PMSo basically criminals are shoving it where the sun does shine?
a33
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:43 AMI don't feel any difference being ripped off by criminal gangs rather than by renewables profiteers. Both lots are morally bankrupt scammers.
nabodican
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:07 AMThe answer is simple, get rid of the turbines. They are useless anyway and are costing us a fortune.
tested
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:47 AM"Where there's muck there's brass" and windpower is certainly a pile of BS. Shouldn't be too hard for the "bad boys" to cosy into this industry as there is a thin dividing line between morality and criminality. Just different formats for ripping off the most vulnerable in our society
Big Bert
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:41 AMHere is a direct link to Petition 22704 Just click on it http:epetitions.direct.gov.ukpetitions22704
Big Bert
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:40 AMThe rich are robbing the poor because we all pay the subsidy for wind farms on our electricty bills. There is a brilliant petition to slash wind farm subsidy. Simply Google PETITION 22704 and join us. Then sent it round to friends and family please.
unimpressedone
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:34 AMThe real criminals are those in power who sanctioned the trashing of the countryside with these useless junk heaps. Perhaps metal thieves could be persuaded to expolit this growing surplus of scrap metal?
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