Scotland has 367 serious organised crime networks, involving 4000 individuals, which drain £2.6bn of dirty money from the economy each year.

Scotland has 367 serious organised crime networks, involving 4000 individuals, which drain £2.6bn of dirty money from the economy each year.

The results of the biggest intelligence-gathering operation ever carried out by Scottish police shows around half of the gangsters identified are involved in "serious violence or murder", with a similar number having access to firearms.

The regional breakdown, published yesterday by Scotland's Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, shows no area is immune from the threat. At least 152 gangs operate in Strathclyde, 25 are in the Northern Constabulary patch and 16 affect Grampian. Some 35 gangs operate in Lothian and Borders, while 29 were identified in Tayside, 24 in Fife, 15 in Central and six in Dumfries and Galloway.

Police said many networks operate under the cover of legitimate businesses and warned the public must do more to stop organised crime laundering money through taxi firms, building contracts and hotels.

Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, unveiled the country's first multi-agency strategy to fight the problem. He announced an additional £4m for the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) over the next two years, providing 80 new posts, including more covert officers, e-crime specialists and financial investigators.

The money will also fund a new Scottish Intelligence and Co-ordination Unit to continue to track organised crime, with officers dedicated to targeting the growing problem of human trafficking.

The crime map pinpoints 241 "specialists", such as crooked lawyers and accountants, who police believe are helping organised crime.

Gordon Meldrum, director-general of the SCDEA, said: "This is about making life difficult for serious organised crime groups - whether that's about arresting them, whether that's about bankrupting them, whether that's just about making Scotland a really difficult operating environment on the ground for organised crime.

"If we understand the nature of their business better in future, it means we can actually protect 5.1 million people better."

He said one challenge will be to tackle the specialist operators, who can get involved through threats, intimidation or corruption.

"I've always had the view that those professionals, those specialists, are really important," he said.

"They're often the common denominator in how organised crime works. One specialist might work for four or five different groups.

"Understanding more about them and understanding why they provide that professional advice is critical."

The report reveals that more than one-third of those involved in serious organised crime in Scotland are in the 15 to 29 age range.

It warns that: "Young people are vulnerable to being impressed by criminals who flaunt the visible trappings of wealth gained through serious organised crime. It is vital that we make clear that crime does not pay."

Mr Meldrum emphasises that this is just the beginning of the mapping exercise and that it will now become a permanent feature of Scottish policing.

Police said the vast majority of criminal gangs are involved in drug crimes - including heroin and cocaine importing - and 81 are involved in money laundering. About 161 gangs are involved in "serious violence or murder" and 202 gangs have access to firearms.

Stephen House, chief constable of Strathclyde Police, warned that local authorities and businesses should carefully consider which firms - including taxi operators and lawyers - they choose to employ.

"We all suffer and amongst us there are people who are contributing to it, some passively, unknowingly, others deliberately," he said.

Mr House, who is also chairman of the crime area of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said the new map, and its "snapshot" of crime, will help forces to understand the problem better.

Mr MacAskill also announced that a telephone hotline enabling people to check out suspicious firms will be part of the fight against organised crime.

The phone line will enable both the public and private sector to check credentials of the firms who may have links with crime.

Announcing the government funds, Mr MacAskill said: "Organised criminals are driven by their own greed and their desire for power and influence.

"However, they cannot and will not be allowed to spread their criminal networks, and today's announcement will go a very long way towards thwarting them."

He also said that the level of criminals' access to firearms suggests the need for new legislation to allow police to tackle the problem efficiently. Top officers and the justice secretary announced the findings of the nationwide study at government ministerial headquarters St Andrew's House in Edinburgh.

Seized weaponry - including guns and ammunition - were on display to highlight successful police operations.