Man charged for exploitation of young people linked to shopliftings across Central Belt

A man has been charged as part of an investigation into retail offences within Glasgow, linked to the exploitation of young people.

Officers from Operation Dynos, an ongoing initiative funded by Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce, have been carrying out inquiries into a series of shopliftings across the Central Belt, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire and Forth Valley between April and October this year.

On each occasion young people stole quantities of alcohol from stores, which was then reset and sold on to fund organised criminal activity.

In total, £50,000 worth of alcohol was stolen during these incidents.

As a result of this investigation a 43-year-old male was arrested at an address in the Southside of Glasgow on Friday, 7 November.

He will appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 4 February 2026.

Detective Sergeant Stephanie Bertram from Operation Dynos said: “The young people responsible for the theft of alcohol during these incidents are victims of exploitation by individuals looking to fund organised crime.

“While one arrest has been made, our inquiries continue, and we will not relent in our pursuit of anyone looking to profit from the exploitation and manipulation of others.

“Operation Dynos, local policing teams, and Retail Crime Taskforce officers will continue to gather intelligence and conduct enforcement to tackle retail crime and disrupt any organised criminal activity linked to it.”