By Adam Morris
Police across Scotland are catching more children with stolen goods as concern grows about organised gangs exploiting them to commit crimes.
Analysis by 1919 has revealed a near doubling in the number of under-18s found in possession of stolen items following police stop-and-search procedures.
It comes as Police Scotland, politicians and retail groups expressed fears about the role of adult criminals in exploiting and taking advantage of vulnerable young people.
Between April and June there were 48 positive cases of children being found with stolen goods, with the number this year likely to be close to 200.
That compares to just 104 in the year to March 2024.
Stephanie Karte, CEO of Retailers Against Crime, said shop owners across Scotland “regularly describe incidents involving groups entering stores with clear intent to steal, often using distraction techniques, intimidation and coordinated actions”.
She added: “Retailers are increasingly reporting concerns about younger people being exploited by organised offenders to carry out thefts on their behalf.
“While shoplifting is often viewed as a low-level offence, in many cases it forms part of wider criminal activity, where children and vulnerable individuals are being used to reduce the risk to those directing the crime.
“The impact extends far beyond the value of the goods taken.”
The Scottish Government sets aside £3 million a year to tackle the issue as part of the Retail Crime Taskforce, which it said is “delivering real results, targeting repeat offenders and using data and intelligence to drive enforcement”.
It resulted in more than 6,400 criminal charges in its first year.
Yet multiple police reports have spoken explicitly about adult men controlling and coercing local children to carry out criminal acts.
Numerous operations involving campus cops and local officers have disrupted their activity in the past year.
Among the most recent stop-and-search cases between April and June were two 12-year-old girls caught in East Kilbride, a 14-year-old boy in Glasgow who was also found in possession of a knife, and two 14-year-old boys in Dumfries.
Most of the perpetrators were teenage boys, fitting the profile of those most commonly targeted by gangsters.
The new data reveals cops are positively searching a young person for stolen property around once every two days.
If trends remain on course, there will have been 192 cases by the end of this year. That compares to 172 in 2025, and 146 the year before.
David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, said the figures suggested that children are being “routinely exploited for the purposes of criminality”.
He added: “The problem is there is no deterrent – the kids and the criminals know that no matter what happens they won’t be properly punished.
“Sentencing guidelines which say under 25s should not be jailed only work if there are proper preventative, educational or rehabilitative measures instead – but that just isn’t the case.
“The police can only respond to this, we can’t be in every shop all the time.”
Police Scotland said retail crime initiatives have strengthened its approach and improved intelligence gathering, disrupting the activities of people who are “exploiting young people and committing organised retail crime”.
“We have seen some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities being actively recruited and exploited by organised criminals”
But opposition parties blamed the Scottish Government for underfunding the force and adopting a “soft-touch” approach on crime.
“It is vital that we tackle this worrying trend, particularly to protect vulnerable young people being exploited by criminals,” said Scottish Labour’s justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill.
“Police Scotland has faced underfunding for years and it is crucial that the Scottish Government ensures officers have the resources they need in order to keep our communities safe.”
Scottish Conservative justice spokesperson Stephen Kerr said: “Criminal gangs are exploiting the SNP’s soft-touch justice system and under-25 sentencing guidelines by recruiting children into becoming foot-soldiers to steal from shops, while the gangsters sit back and pocket the profits.
“Kids belong in classrooms, not being groomed into organised crime, but this is the consequence of nearly 20 years of SNP government.”
Earlier this year 1919 revealed that officers are also finding more young people with knives and other bladed weapons during stop-and-search procedures.
Some have criticised perceived overuse of the practice, but both police bosses and the Scottish Government insist it is necessary in preventing crime.
Assistant Chief Constable Phil Davidson said stop-and-search was “valuable and effective” in tackling shoplifting, adding it was used lawfully, proportionately, and in accordance with the agreed national code of practice.
“The code has a dedicated section for children and provides guidance for officers when deciding to stop search a child using the appropriate statutory power,” he said.
“Retail crime is not victimless.
“We have seen some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities being actively recruited and exploited by organised criminals to steal and resale goods for financial gain, potentially drawing them into wider criminality.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The criminal exploitation of children is abhorrent, and partners on Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce will use all means at their disposal to ensure that those responsible are held to account.”
In addition to the retail taskforce, they added: “Officers also make use of a range of operational powers, including stop-and-search, where lawful, proportionate and intelligence-led, to help prevent and detect crime and disrupt criminal activity.
“Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales, and our record investment of more than £1.7 billion in 2026/27 is ensuring that Police Scotland can maintain officer numbers at 16,500.”
