Councils have blacklisted a private security firm after Tayside Police exposed it as a front for organised crime.
It is understood the group was involved in money laundering and had also targeted the local building trade, offering security for construction sites.
Police warned all three Tayside councils about the company and all of the firm’s public sector contracts, worth thousands of pounds, were terminated.
Detective Superintendent Willie Semple, of Tayside Police’s crime intelligence division, said, “This is work that is ongoing, that we are involved in right now.”
He said Tayside Police is working to stop gangs from outwith Dundee setting up in the city as well as preventing homegrown groups trying to hide their illegal activities behind seemingly “legitimate” businesses.
“Tayside is no different from any other area in Scotland, where we are affected by serious and organised crime activity, either by those that live and operate in this area or target it from outside,” said Mr Semple.
“An example of the latter is the distribution of drugs from the north west of England, specifically Liverpool.
“We in Tayside, throughout the force, are now targeting serious and organised crime groups that are residing and working here.
“We are quite happy to do it ourselves and quite happy to work with partners if it’s more appropriate but it’s all with the intention of disrupting criminal activities.
“That includes sharing information with the three local authorities in the area where we feel that they need to know about individuals that they are contracted to or thinking of contracting employment to.”