Shoplifters 'trafficked in'

ORGANISED crime groups from Lithuania are trafficking young men into Scotland to shoplift and send the stolen goods back to their homeland.

Police chiefs have told MSPs the young men are often forced into crime under threat of serious assault or harm to their families.

In evidence to the Scottish Parliament's equal opportunities committee, the police chiefs also said Scotland was targeted by criminal gangs involved in large-scale organised prostitution rings, trafficking women into the UK.

The committee is looking into the economic impact of migration and trafficking.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said inward migration meant increased spending by police forces, including interpretation and translation services.