Police Scotland arrests 36 in large Operation Kendrew targeting alleged human trafficking

# What happened Police Scotland led a wide‑ranging enforcement operation on Wednesday under the name Operation Kendrew. About 300 officers were deployed and 36 people were arrested. Officers searched 47 properties across Glasgow, Falkirk, Dundee and other locations in the central belt and north‑east of Scotland.

# What was found Police uncovered 14 cannabis cultivations during searches. They also found "a number of potential trafficking victims," according to reporting. Raided addresses included a warehouse in Glasgow's Dalmarnock area and a property in Springburn where officers forced entry and carried out searches.

# Who is being investigated

# Agencies involved Police Scotland led the operation and worked alongside the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, Immigration Enforcement, HM Revenue & Customs and policing partners in Vietnam and other south‑east Asian countries.

# Police statement and next steps Detective Superintendent Stevie Bertram, head of Police Scotland's national human trafficking unit, said the operation will "absolutely" disrupt the group's activities going forward and called it "the biggest and most co‑ordinated human trafficking operation that we have ever carried out." He described the enforcement as the product of a lengthy investigation and multi‑agency coordination and urged anyone with information or suspicions about human trafficking to contact police as a matter of urgency.

# Government response Government described human trafficking as "abhorrent" and called disrupting organised crime a priority. A government spokesperson commended Police Scotland for the intervention and reiterated the need to work with national and international partners to bring offenders to justice and to ensure victims receive support.

# What this means locally The raids involved forced entries and detailed searches at multiple addresses, signalling a significant escalation in resources applied to suspected trafficking networks operating in Scotland. The discovery of both drug cultivations and potential victims points to intertwined criminal activity that crosses exploitation, organised drug production and immigration crime.

# Practical takeaways for readers

• If you have specific, verifiable information about suspected trafficking or exploitation, contact Police Scotland immediately. Authorities asked the public to report any suspicions.

# Bottom line Operation Kendrew represents a major coordinated enforcement action by Police Scotland and partners against an alleged trafficking network said to have links to south‑east Asia. Dozens were arrested, numerous properties searched, and both illicit cultivation and potential victims were discovered as investigations continue.