A new report from Europol has revealed that efforts across the EU to tackle money laundering offences are meeting with limited success.

A recent media investigation has revealed that a number of high-ranking police officers believe Scotland has become a key target for cyber criminals. Cybercrimes are those committed with a computer or using the internet. The most common types of cybercrime are ransomware, social engineering, phishing, malware and online fraud, however, Police Scotland says that cybercrime is expanding and has now reached areas including child exploitation, human trafficking and online abuse.

A 30-year-old man recently appeared at Edinburgh High Court where he pleaded guilty to the supply of controlled drugs and dangerous driving, reports Police Scotland.

The Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) has been involved in a number of recent successful money laundering prosecutions.

A new study has found that motorists in the UK consider themselves to be more law-abiding than drivers in many other countries when it comes to using a mobile phone while driving.

The Scottish Government has recently announced that new nationwide standards are to be introduced to ensure consistent delivery of forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual violence.

Police Scotland’s recent festive crack down on drink driving resulted in a slight increase in the proportion of drivers stopped by police who were found to be over the drink drive limit.

In this age of social media, new sentencing guidelines are being drafted to enforce tougher punishments on young people who film instances of knife crime and upload them to online platforms in England &Wales. Within gangs, this has become an increasingly popular method of humiliating victims and asserting dominance - something that the law is attempting to crack down on. This is only one of a number of ‘aggravating factors’ for judges and magistrates to consider when sentencing defendants convicted of possessing a blade or offensive weapon in public, or making threats.

Recent figures from Scotland’s Chief Statistician have revealed that the number of homicides in Scotland fell to their lowest on record last year.

Two sailors have been sentenced to over 40 years imprisonment between them for their role in the smuggling of more than three tonnes of cocaine aboard an ocean-going tug, the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service has reported. The operation apparently resulted in the largest ever seizure of Class A drugs in the UK.

More than half of drivers in the 25 – 34 age-group are risking getting charged with motoring offences for texting, using apps or going online on their mobiles when they are behind the wheel, according to a new study by road safety charity Brake.

A study has shown that criminals who have been given a caution by the police are exceptionally likely to continue committing crimes and reoffend.

An interesting new piece of research by RAC Insurance has found that nearly a fifth of motorists (18%) would not inform their insurer if they picked up penalty points while driving, potentially putting themselves at risk of holding invalid insurance, as well as future prosecution.

The total value of reported fraud in 2015 rose to £1.5 billion, which is apparently an increase of 110% from the previous year and the highest value since 2011.

The former First Minister, Alex Salmond, has expressed concern over proposed changes to stop-and-search in Scotland during a debate in the Scottish Parliament. 

MSPs have approved new legislation that aims to introduce a statutory code for the use of stop and search, however, Mr Salmond said he wanted to see more analysis of how knife crime could be affected. The decision to have a code regarding stop and search came after a report from John Scott QC found that ending the searches would not prevent officers carrying out their duties effectively.

A report has revealed that Police Scotland are investigating 134 officers for alleged crimes and misconduct including sexual offences, stalking, theft, multiple assaults and some data protection breaches.

Police Scotland have seized more than £1 million in drugs, cash and stolen goods in the last year on a major road in Dumfries and Galloway.

According to a recent study by the police watchdog, crime rates in Edinburgh are the highest in Scotland with the most crimes per 10,000 people.

A new Scottish Sentencing Council has come into force as of today with the independent body being responsible for preparing guidelines to ensure a consistent approach to sentencing throughout the country.

The number of crimes committed on Britain’s railways has fallen for the 11th year running, according to a recent report by British Transport Police (BTP).