Professor John Robertson OBA
Today, the Courier reports the above. Notice that word in the last line? Yes, it’s another County Lines drug from an English city (there is no other type) gang bringing ‘threats, violence and death‘ to parts of Scotland which were formerly less familiar with such trauma. The County Lines business model provides new more powerful and cheaper drugs in small towns and villages, based on children acting as mules to bring the supply in on buses and trains, backed up by heavies from the cities to suppress any local opposition.
Neither BBC Scotland nor BBC Scotland Tayside and Central have reported this but they have reported on a Glasgow gangland murder. It’s OK to harm a Scottish cities image, after 20 years of falling crime there but no mention must be made that might harm the image of the Union.
Only one Scottish town, to my knowledge has been able to drive a County lines gang out. See:
Why do I say ‘Five years?’
In February 2019:
An influx of County Line dealers from England has seen drug deaths and convictions in Scotland spiral. Here are just a few cases from north of the Border: Two men who ran a “county lines” drug trafficking operation between Liverpool and Tayside, flooding the area with heroin, were jailed in May at Perth Sheriff Court.
Neither BBC Scotland nor BBC Scotland Tayside and Central reported this then.
Three years later Police Scotland reported:
At Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday, 24 February, 2022 three men were sentenced to a total of five years and four months in prison following an operation that resulted in the seizure of almost £80,000 worth of heroin and over £48,000 of cash seized. George Crone (37) from Perth, Maximillian Donovan (28) and Blayne Gray (24) from Liverpool, had earlier pled guilty at Perth Sheriff Court after admitting using a County Line tactic to supply drugs between the two cities.
“Drug supply causes so much misery in our communities and we remain committed to identifying county line activity in our local communities.
“We need the public to keep passing on information so we can disrupt these criminals.
See that last line? How will folk know that Police Scotland has made this call if the taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster, BBC Scotland, will not tell them about it?
In 27 May 2021, BBC Scotland did have:
Drugs seized in crackdown on county lines gangs – Police in Scotland made 20 arrests and seized drugs worth £65,000 during a UK-wide crackdown on county lines crime gangs, but were careful, in more than 300 words to never mention ‘England’ nor any of the English cities where they are based. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57267339
This five year silence, for the Union, is no accident. Such discipline requires an editorial edict and it has worked for BBC Reporting Scotland and Good Morning Scotland. The only leak has been from BBC Highland, 7 years ago:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Really not much of a public service broadcaster and more a propaganda outfit.
Sorry BBC Scotland, but I wont pay a penny towards your continued deceit, lies and omissions.
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It’s very convenient for the BritNats at Westminster and at Holyrood, to ensure drugs and related crime are as high as possible in Scotland. They have no intention of reporting it truthfully, nor stopping the criminals at the border, or before they reach Scotland.
SNP need to call this out at Holyrood, and at Westminster, asking why the English government and police are not doing more to stop these drugs gangs.
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I can understand PS being anxious not to allow media hype to disrupt operations, but that is very different to the approach BBC Scotland have been taking of seeking to avoid reference to the origins of these gangs.
I well recall their reporting on the Auchinleck/Cumnock incident, portraying it as a local flare-up in preference to accurately state the locals were evicting a violent drug gang from their communities back to England.
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Ahem….
Today in the Aberdeen Depressing Journal.
Rgds,
Graham
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/crime-courts/6727683/manchester-drug-dealer-in-aberdeen-caged/
Manchester organised crime gang’s ‘lookout’ jailed for selling crack in Aberdeen
Casey Marsland acted as a lookout for Manchester gangsters who took over a city home to supply drugs.
By Jamie Ross
April 8 2025, 6:00 am
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The case called at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Image: DC Thomson
A man who claims he was only a lookout for Manchester gangsters has been locked up for selling crack cocaine out of an Aberdeen home.
Casey Marsland was snared in an operation by Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and has now admitted to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 26-year-old played down his role in the drug dealing enterprise, which came to an end when police raided a flat in King Street in 2023.
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Police swooped after tip-off
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court officers swooped after receiving intelligence about possible drug dealing activity.
They witnessed Marsland’s accomplice at a window of the flat attempting to deposit items behind a radiator which they later searched and discovered 76 wraps of crack cocaine worth about £2,500.
£1,900 in cash and three mobile phones were also recovered from the property.
Marsland’s defence agent, Alex Burn, said his client “didn’t gain anything” from his involvement with the crime gang.
“He was a lookout,” he said.
“That was his role in the operation. He was not the main player.
“He’s a young man who was under the age of 25 at the time of the offence.”
Mr Burn added that Marsland, whose address was given as Mees Square, Salford, has attempted to make positive steps forward following his run-ins with the law.
He said his last conviction – for robbery – had resulted in a 32 month sentence.
Mr Burn said: “There is some good progress being made from the release of his last sentence.
“Generally, the first stop is the jail, but Mr Marsland is manageable within the community.”
Custody the only option
But Sheriff Ian Wallace was not won over by the solicitor’s arguments.
Sheriff Wallace said: “This is an organised crime group coming to Aberdeen.”
He later addressed Marsland directly, saying: “You were involved with an organised crime group dealing drugs within the city.
“I am satisfied only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
Marsland will now serve 360 days in prison for his part in the operation.
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….Ahem2
More from the P&J from yesterday:
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/crime-courts/6727822/bolton-man-who-took-over-aberdeen-house/
Bolton man who took over Aberdeen house to sell drugs avoids prison
Leon Sivalie and his accomplice turned a woman’s home into their base to sell cocaine within the city.
By Jamie Ross
April 7 2025, 11:30 am
The case called at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Image: DC Thomson
A Bolton man who was involved in taking over a woman’s home in Aberdeen to sell drugs has avoided a prison sentence.
Leon Sivalie arrived on the doorstep of a house in Mastrick on September 15 2023, and was arrested just days later.
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the woman living there had been promised money for allowing Sivalie and another man to stay.
But when she began asking for her guests to leave, the 19-year-old refused.
“The accused outstayed his welcome and refused to leave,” Mr McMann said.
43 rocks of cocaine and a 14-year-old found in flat
Mr McMann added that when police raided the property to arrest Sivalie on September 22, they found 43 rocks of cocaine.
“On attendance, movement was detected inside and two males, including the accused, attempted to open the living room window as [she] was heard to scream,” he said.
“On entering the property, officers found [her], the accused, and a 14-year-old child.
“[She] informed the police that the accused has passed her 43 rocks of cocaine and asked that she hid them within her trousers. Additionally, several other packages were recovered from the locus which contained cocaine.”
Sivalie’s defence agent, Michael Horseman, said his client “fully accepts” their involvement in the operation.
“He has been making positive attempts to avoid any further involvement in offending,” he added.
‘His job was to deliver small amounts of drugs’
This included seeking employment with Aldi in a warehouse and undertaking a training course in construction.
Mr Horseman said: “Mr Sivalie is clearly aware of how these cases are often dealt with.
“His job was to deliver small amounts of drugs and collect small amounts of money. He appears to be someone who has got himself naively involved in this situation.”
Sentencing him, Sheriff Ian Wallace said Sivalie’s age had to be taken into account when deciding his punishment.
“You were involved in an operation to supply class A drugs. You, in effect, took over someone’s home,” he said.
“Given your age, a focus of my sentence has to be on rehabilitation.”
As an alternative to custody, Sivalie, of Hargreaves House, Bolton, will now fall under the supervision of the English probation service for 18 months and complete 210 hours of unpaid work over the next year.
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