From STV and in the Aberdeen-based Press & Journal today, the above headline, carefully avoiding the origins of the dealer, in England::
A county lines drug dealer from Liverpool will serve almost six years for using a stolen BMW to supply class A narcotics in Scotland. James Stephen, 31, was arrested on June 17 last year after police in Aberdeen tracked down a white car that had been stolen from a home in the city the previous month.
The report tells us little of what County lines gangs do and the effects they have.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn (October 2023, County Lines Intensification Week):
“The harm caused by illegal drugs across Scotland is well-documented and County Lines drug dealers bring nothing but misery to our communities. They exploit vulnerable people and groom and threaten young people to become involved in their nefarious activities. They exploit young and vulnerable people to sell drugs, carry cash and weapons – bringing violence, coercion and abuse. They may also take over a vulnerable person’s house, known as cuckooing.”
BBC Scotland and BBC North-East have not covered this story. They never do.
How many media reports since 2019 have there been of Liverpool-based drug gangs bringing drugs to Northern Scotland inlcuding Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Inverness and other towns in the area?
Based on a comprehensive search of news sources, I identified 11 distinct media reports published since 2019 that specifically discuss Liverpool-based (or Merseyside) drug gangs supplying or transporting drugs to Northern Scotland, including areas like Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Inverness, and the broader north-east or Highlands regions. These reports often focus on county lines operations, arrests, sentencings, or police raids tied to such activities. Note that some reports may reference overlapping investigations or ongoing trends, but each is a separate published article.
Here’s a summary table of the reports:
| Date | Source | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| April 2019 | Press and Journal | Rise in Merseyside gangs supplying drugs to north-east Scotland, likened to “Oliver Twist” tactics. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| September 2020 | Press and Journal | Police raid reveals Fraserburgh home used as a safe house for Liverpool-based organised crime group storing drugs. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| June 2021 | Liverpool Echo | Dealer caught transporting £60,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine from Liverpool to Aberdeen via railway. liverpoolecho.co.uk |
| September 2021 | Press and Journal | Raids in Fraserburgh and Aberdeen lead to arrests in Liverpool linked to drug supply operations. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| May 2022 | Liverpool Echo | Joint operation targets Liverpool gang supplying crack cocaine and heroin to the Scottish Highlands. liverpoolecho.co.uk |
| April 2023 | Liverpool Echo | Dealer running county lines operation between Liverpool and Aberdeen jailed after heroin found buried in woods. liverpoolecho.co.uk |
| July 2024 | Press and Journal | Trio sentenced at Peterhead Sheriff Court for supplying heroin and cocaine on behalf of “Scouse Joe” Liverpool gang. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| March 2025 | Press and Journal | Liverpool dealer jailed after accidentally leaving £17,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin on a Fraserburgh bus. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| June 2025 | Press and Journal | Three dealers sentenced for selling cocaine and heroin in Fraserburgh on behalf of a Liverpool crime gang. pressandjournal.co.uk |
| August 2025 | BBC News | County lines gangs from Liverpool (among others) forcing vulnerable people into drug networks in the Highlands and Islands, including Inverness. bbc.co.uk |
| January 2026 | Press and Journal | Liverpool county lines dealer sentenced for using stolen BMW to transport heroin and cocaine to Aberdeen. pressandjournal.co.uk |
This count excludes general reports on county lines to Scotland without specific ties to Northern regions, blogs, police statements not published as media articles, or pre-2019 coverage. The actual total could be higher if including local or lesser-known outlets not captured in searches, but these represent the prominent reports from major sources.
Note the one BBC report, very recent, does not mention the origins of these gangs in the headline and only by the 14th paragraph.
Has BBC Reporting Scotland ever mentioned this plague. AI cannot find that out but I have never seen it.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
BBC ARE SURELY COMPLICIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
They are certainly extremely anti SNP, which means they will lie, and they will twist facts as well as leave out any mention of this hugely detrimental and important news like this, that John covers. Just wish more people were aware of factual blogs like this one. BBC are an English organisation controlled ny the English regime, and their operation in Scotland is designed to make people who do watch their disgraceful anti SNP, anti Scottish propaganda, all cosy and wanted and part of their UKnotOk.
It’s very sinister and chilling it really is, even though it’s slightly warmer out the now.
LikeLike
give them a break…
poor old unionists are conditioned by the British establishment.
and, of course, wilfully ignorant.
LikeLike