GANGSTERS will be handed “super Asbos” to stop them running businesses as fronts for crime, under plans from the Scottish Government.
Convicted gangsters would be banned from controlling taxi firms, tanning salons, nurseries and security companies to break up their criminal empires.
Serious crime prevention orders, dubbed “super Asbos”, have been in place in England and Wales since 2008.
Scottish ministers hopes to introduce them north of the Border “in the near future.”
In England earlier this year, internet fraudster Darren Molloy-Herat was found to be in breach of curbs set down by a serious crime prevention order.
He was originally convicted of a crime involving buying and selling credit card details and bank logins on what prosecutors called a “Facebook for fraudsters.”
An FBI agent infiltrated the site, which led to Molloy-Herat being jailed and given 13 restrictions under a serious crime prevention order.
These restrictions limited his use of the internet as well as bank accounts and credit cards.
After being released from jail, he was found to be running a cannabis farm in Essex.
The breaches of his order meant he was given an additional 16-month jail term.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We believe the introduction of serious crime prevention orders will give law enforcement agencies another vital tool in their kit.
“The Scottish government plans to consult on their introduction, which we hope will follow a similar format to those in place in England and Wales, in the near future, and seek views on how they will operate in Scotland.”
