Police Scotland, working in partnership, targeted businesses across the country as part of a national multiagency crackdown on organised immigration crime – which exploits vulnerable people in communities.
Operation Lockstream, an intelligence-led initiative, co-ordinated by the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce (OICDT), ran between Monday, 15 and Saturday, 20 of June 2026.
Activity saw officers from Police Scotland, Trading Standards and HMRC visit 40 high street businesses – including restaurants, nail bars, car washes, barbers and vape shops – believed to be involved in the nefarious activity.
During the week of activity agencies interacted with 109 people – identifying 10 irregular migrants. 43 business compliance checks were carried out and Trading Standards identified four premises without a licence to sell alcohol or tobacco.
Detective Superintendent Stevie Betram, of Police Scotland said: “It is a fact that organised crime groups exploit vulnerable people by facilitating illegal entry into the UK.
“This exposes them to dangerous journeys and unsuitable living and working conditions.
“Our priority is to protect those at risk, identify the networks and individuals involved and to ensure offenders are brought to justice.
“Organised immigration crime is a scourge, with the activity being undertaken by serious organised crime groups and can lead to the identification of other serious criminality such as human trafficking, modern slavery, County Lines, drug trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“The week of activity saw law enforcement partners undertaking a period of intensive action to disrupt this type of criminality and making Scotland a hostile environment for those who exploit vulnerable people in our communities.
“These initiatives underline our commitment to keeping safe and tackling serious organised working together as part of Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.”
The Organised Immigration Domestic Taskforce is a national policing programme bringing together law enforcement agencies across the UK to tackle organised immigration crime.
