Murder plots against Scots prison officers with 700 gang members now behind bars

Scottish prison officers are being subjected to a reign of terror from organised crime gangs operating from INSIDE the nation’s overcrowded and crisis-hit jails.

Phil Fairlie, Scottish secretary of the Prison Officers Association, told of alleged murder plots against staff and revealed “the type of threat, intimidation and violence staff have been subjected to is at a different level”.

He said there are now “around 700 people in our prisons with direct links to organised crime”, including more high-level bosses than ever before. This is partly down to the Europe-wide EncroChat network being infiltrated by police, with around 2,600 arrests across the UK since 2020.

Mr Fairlie said: “It’s huge credit to Police Scotland for the arrest and prosecution of people much higher up the ladder than we’d normally get. We normally get foot soldiers. However, that means we’ve now got to manage them.”

READ MORE: ‘Soft-touch justice’ SNP plans to release 500 prisoners early will put ‘public at risk’

More than 10 prison officers’ cars have been firebombed in prison car parks, “either as a warning, intimidation, or payback”, he said, adding: “It’s a price, it’s the crime gang’s way of saying ‘your card is marked’. They come at night on motorbikes, torch cars and are gone in minutes.”

Mr Fairlie told the Sunday Herald of alleged murder plots launched against prison officers. In some cases, police had to spirit prison officers from their homes to safety. “One was told to just pack his bags, get in the car and come with police,” he said.

Although crime gangs are now using drones to fly drugs and mobile phones into jails, so far, there’s “nothing to suggest” gangsters have successfully smuggled in guns. However, Mr Fairlie said: “Given the individuals we’ve got inside now, coupled with what I know of their plans, guns being brought in wouldn’t come as a huge shock.”

The POA boss said overcrowding was making the problem even worse, although a controversial early release programme to free around 500 prisoners that began last week should free up space and ease pressure on staff.

Mr Fairlie added: “There are battles for control of the prisons between rival gangs which is where much of the added violence comes in, as well as settling old scores from events outside while they’re in prison.”

Prisoners on spice ‘scare the hell out of themselves’

‘Doubling up’ with two men in a one-man cell or three men in a two-man cell is now commonplace, often with the extra inmate sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. And this increases the danger of prisoners being put in a cell with a gangland rival. The risk “has got significantly worse because of the numbers of organised crime members in prison now”, said Mr Fairlie.

He also warned of the impact of psychoactive drugs like spice, of which a brick no bigger than a mobile phone ”can keep a whole hall in Edinburgh going for a month, you just need a tiny dot for an effect”.

Made in backstreet labs, often in China, the strength of such substances varies wildly and prisoners sometimes “scare the hell out of themselves” due to the intense effects.

Although he is an SNP councillor in Clackmannanshire, Mr Fairlie says the current system has failed under the SNP Government although he insists “they’ve attempted to do the right thing”.

Many prisons are already full ‘beyond capacity’

On the issue of organised crime, a Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesman said: “We work closely with Police Scotland to tackle serious and organised crime which has a devastating impact on communities and disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.

“Police Scotland’s success in disrupting these groups, and their activities, is welcome. However, this has contributed to both the increased numbers and complexity that we now face, with many people in our care requiring to be kept separate for a range of reasons, putting added pressure on establishments, many of which are already full beyond their design capacity.”

On drones, the SPS said: “Any attempt to bring illicit substances into our establishment, including by a drone, poses a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of those in our care, and we will use all technological and intelligence tools available to prevent this wherever possible.

“We continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.”

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