Professor John Robertson OBA

From Albanian Daily News nearly a year ago, but to this day never covered by BBC Scotland:

Are these gangs based in Scotland? Nope:

Albanian organized crime groups involved in cannabis cultivation and distribution, including those with operations in Fife, Scotland (such as a reported farm in St Andrews), are typically part of broader networks with key bases and leadership in England. Based on reports from police operations, investigations, and media coverage, these include:

• London: A major hub for Albanian gang bosses, where they coordinate nationwide drug empires, including cannabis production. Albanian nationals account for over 60% of cannabis cultivation convictions in the city, and gangs often supply 40-80% of the UK’s cocaine market while dominating cannabis grows in residential and warehouse properties. Gang leaders operate from here, extending control to Scottish farms via recruited immigrants. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/violent-albanian-crime-gangs-34415047
• Greater Manchester: A primary base for cannabis farms run under modern slavery conditions, with large-scale operations recovering over £10 million in cannabis in recent raids. Gangs here smuggle and exploit workers for UK-wide networks, including potential supply lines to Scotland. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd5m3jdjd5o
• Bedfordshire (including Bedford): Linked to industrial-scale farms in disused buildings, with phone data and raids connecting to broader Albanian networks that distribute cannabis nationwide, including to Scotland. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/32634530/albanian-cannabis-drug-gangs-24-hours/
• Yorkshire and Leicestershire: Sites for grow operations and recruitment, with ties to smuggling routes and debt-bonded workers who are deployed to farms across the UK, including Scottish locations. thesun.co.uk

These England-based groups often recruit illegal immigrants via Channel crossings or lorries, forcing them into debt repayment through work on Scottish farms like those in Fife. Operations in Scotland are extensions of these English networks, focused on production in derelict or converted properties for UK-wide distribution. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/15615803/afrim-krasniqi-illegal-immigrant-cannabis-albania-scotland/