Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Gang of brazen violent teens 'marauding through Scotland'

Gang of brazen violent teens 'marauding through Scotland'
iStock image

A gang of underage teenagers are allegedly "marauding through Glasgow, central Scotland and Edinburgh with impunity", a not-for-profit crime partnership has said, highlighting the need of Scottish government to change its stance of lenient treatment of young offenders.

According to Retailers Against Crime, a group of about 42 youngsters, mostly under 18, is on a rampage shoplifting in Scotland and are behind about 160 separate incidents. They make no effort to conceal their identities, are violent and have been caught on CCTV brazenly removing high-value items from shelves and putting them into bags.


Maxine Fraser, the managing director of Retailers Against Crime, told the Scottish Daily Mail, “There are 42 of them, most under 18, and they are marauding through Glasgow, central Scotland and Edinburgh with impunity.”

Fraser described the youths as brazen, recounting instances where they dismiss security officers’ attempts to intervene.

“They are extremely violent. They have thrown bottles at staff and customers — because there are no consequences,” she added.

Retailers Against Crime, the organisation that compiles reports and video evidence, has said that store security personnel are ineffective in deterring these offenders.

The gang is believed to be based in Glasgow but use buses to travel across the central belt for its criminal activities, primarily targeting alcohol. The gang is said to have targeted stores in Edinburgh city centre, Stirling, Falkirk, Dumbarton and Prestwick.

Fraser is calling on Scottish government to change its stance of increasingly lenient treatment of young offenders in Scotland, which she believed was enabling such crime.

“Whoever decided on these laws has no idea what is going on out in the retail world because they don’t listen, and they need to listen to the retailers,” she said.

Fraser has called for the police to be granted statutory powers to revoke bus passes used in criminal activities, a measure possible only under a court directive at present.

Police Scotland said that a number of charges had been filed in connection with the thefts.

Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, in a recent parliamentary address, raised the issue of rising violent cases against retailers, noting that some staff members had already lost their lives and also that shoplifting statistics were largely meaningless owing to under-reporting.

Findlay said, "Retail crime is out of control in Scotland. And it’s not me saying that, it’s the retailers and the police. It’s [crime] targeted and it’s organised. The gang members are brazen. They make no attempts to hide their faces and they sweep high-value items from the shelves.

“It’s inevitable that more people will end up dead. The police tell the retailers that their hands are tied and I speak with police officers who often feel powerless and frustrated,” he said.

More for you

WHSmith storefront on a UK high street, set to transition under new ownership.

WH Smith branch in Orpington on January 23, 2025 in London, England.

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

WHSmith sells UK high street business

WHSmith has on Friday announced the sale of its UK high street business to Modella Capital, in a move to concentrate on its higher-growth travel retail markets.

The deal, which values the high street business at £76 million on a cash and debt-free basis, will see WHSmith receive gross cash proceeds of £52 million.

Keep ReadingShow less
Co-op Wholesale team discussing retail growth strategy with partners

Co-op Group launches Co-op Wholesale

Photo: iStock

Co-op Group launches Co-op Wholesale, reaffirming support to independent retail

The Co-op Group has today (28) re-affirmed its commitment to the independent retail sector through the launch of Co-op Wholesale, with its fascia brand being fully retained as part of the suite of services available to Co-op’s independent partners.

Drawing on over 160 years of wholesale heritage, this move re-enforces the Co-op Group’s commitment to drive increased value for independent retailers, whilst fuelling expansion ambitions into broader corporate business to business markets, and vision to deliver the best of Co-op to its trusted partners.

Keep ReadingShow less
x-hoppers AI theft detection system in retail store at RTS 2025

x-hoppers debuts new AI upgrades built for retail’s frontlines, boosting security, team flow and in-store efficiency

X-Hoppers AI Store Upgrades!

x-hoppers, the leading AI-powered in-store communication platform, has announced new features to its connected store suite, designed to strengthen loss prevention, boost team productivity and automate key retail tasks, all in a single, unified system.

By combining hands-free headsets, AI-powered theft detection and real-time automation tools, x-hoppers helps retailers cut shrink, improve team coordination and deliver faster, safer in-store experiences. Built for the pace of frontline work, it replaces disconnected tools with one seamless solution, supporting associates and elevating the customer journey, from stockroom to checkout.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nescafé Gold coffee jars on shelf during coffee price surge 2025

Jars of Nescafe Gold Instant coffee, part of food giant Nestle's portfolio, are seen at the company's headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 21, 2024.

REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

Coffee prices set for up to 25 per cent hike amid bean shortages

If your favourite coffee beans have vanished from the shelves, don't worry - they will return soon. The bad news is they will be up to 25 per cent more expensive.

Roasters such as Lavazza, Illy, Nestle and Douwe Egberts maker JDE Peet's are currently in talks with retailers about passing on costs from a near doubling of arabica coffee prices over the past year, according to eight industry sources.

Keep ReadingShow less