Urban Thugs Investigate Arson Attacks and Intimidate Residents in a British City Alarmingly; Retired Covert Police Officer Warns That Organized Crime Has Seized Control
Glasgow's dark shadows of the past return as the city is once again besieged by guns and gangs. A deadly power struggle between various criminal factions has ensnared the streets of Scotland's largest city, leaving even some of the most feared mob bosses scampering for cover.
Just like two decades ago when it was named Europe's murder capital, Glasgow is engulfed in flames as masked gangsters plunder suburban communities with firebombs. The mayhem is linked to a vicious revenge plot between three rival gangs over stolen cocaine worth a cool half a million pounds.
Although the culprit behind the drug heist is known, he remains unnamed to avoid hindering ongoing police probes. Known as 'Mr. Big', the mastermind is a top-level Irish criminal based in Dubai, who has been flooding Scotland with cocaine for years. His enforcers, a group called Tamo Junto, boast of their mayhem through sinister videos depicting attacks in Glasgow and Edinburgh, warning, "It's time to remove this vermin from our streets... every associate, every business will be targeted. Leave Scotland immediately."
Despite a drop in murder rates since 2005 due to government and Police Scotland crackdowns, the city is once again trapped in the grip of a terrifying crime wave. A source close to the Richardson crime family, one of the major players in Scotland's drugs underworld, and rivals to the Daniel clan, is unconcerned, commenting, "I don't give a rat's arse about crime figures. It's the same... it'll never change."
Former undercover police officer Simon McLean, who spent 40 years in the police, believes this resurgence in crime is due to the Scottish government going soft on crime. McLean states, "When we go soft on crime, which we are now because there are no policemen, crime moves in and fills the vacuum. Right now, organized crime has taken over."
As the fight for territories continues, gang wars prop up in areas like north Glasgow, where bitter rivals, the Daniel family, the Lyons gang, and associates of the infamous Irish Kinahan Cartel, clash over turf. McLean, now running the Crime Time Inc. podcast, fears this onslaught is just the beginning, "With money to be made, there will be serious and organized crime. Drugs are probably the main driver. That's where the big money is."
The violence, however, isn't merely localized. Other major cities in Scotland, such as Edinburgh, have also encountered terror from the firebombs. This escalation has left innocent citizens watching their cities burn, fearful for their lives and livelihoods.
In a chilling echo of the past, gangsters assault homes and shops, suspected of being associated with the Daniel and Richardson crime families. The attacks seem reminiscent of the razor gangs of the 1920s and 30s, while sectarianism is still a persistent problem lurking beneath the city's surface.
Experts suggest that the relentless demand for drugs is fueling the resurgence in crime. Mark Dempster, a former international drug smuggler, believes cocaine use has skyrocketed in the last 15 to 20 years, becoming a normal social drug alongside cannabis. Despite the police's best efforts, Dempster insists there's no way they can control it, let alone combat the corruption within their own ranks. He adds, "No matter how much any [crime] family gets, they want more. It's the same process of expanding their empire. They have to commit violence."
Another former Glasgow police detective, speaking on the condition of anonymity, highlights the ruthlessness of the gangs, commenting, "It's a vicious circle. The gangs are capable of anything. They don't make idle threats. There will be action." While the gangs continue their brutal game of dominance, the people of Glasgow are left fearful and hopeful for the future, wondering how far the violence will escalate before it's finally put to an end.
- The scourge of gangs and violence has returned to Edinburgh, mirroring the conditions of two decades ago when Edinburgh was engulfed in crime-and-justice turmoil.
- In a bid to exert their dominance, the Tamo Junto, enforcers of the Irish criminal known as 'Mr. Big', have released chilling videos, threatening businesses and general-news associated with the Richardson crime family.
- 0562, the code often associated with the Daniel clan, has been linked to a series of violent attacks on shops and homes suspected of being connected to the Richardson family.
- As the Daniel family, the Lyons gang, and associates of the infamous Irish Kinahan Cartel vie for control in northern Glasgow, one can't help but recall the razor gangs of the 1920s and 30s.
- The fight for territory and resources has expanded beyond Glasgow and encompassed other major cities, including Edinburgh, fueling fears of further escalation and intimidation.
