Police have warned the slump in the oil industry could lead to gangsters muscling in on hard-hit Scottish firms.
Oil and gas companies have been laying off thousands of workers in the North Sea industry and looking for new deals on contracts.
And police are now working with some of Aberdeen’s hardest-hit firms amid concerns gangsters could undercut legitimate businesses with their front companies.
In a report, Chief Constable Phil Gormley of Police Scotland said they were warning the industry’s main body of the dangers of being dragged into the criminal underworld.
He said: “An initial approach has been made to Oil and Gas UK to discuss potential threats to the energy industry from serious organised crime.”
Chief Inspector Kevin Wallace, of Police Scotland’s North East division, confirmed there was a threat of gangland contractors muscling their way in to the industry.
He said: “Serious organised crime targets legitimate businesses across a wide variety of industries, which impacts on communities throughout Scotland.
“Police Scotland will be meeting with Oil and Gas UK to ensure legitimate businesses can understand how serious organised crime attempts to target them and how they can work with law enforcement agencies to prevent criminals procuring services connected to the North Sea industry.”
Dr Alix Thom, of Oil and Gas UK, said: “We are in regular communication with Police Scotland via the Energy Industry Liaison Unit and our Security Committee.
“Serious organised crime is one of the issues that is discussed from time to time.”
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