Vulnerable young people are being targeted to steal alcohol from stores across Scotland

23 October 2026

Man jailed for child exploitation offences as part of Operation Dynos

by BILL HEANEY

A 23-year-old man has been jailed as part of an ongoing operation to tackle retail offences linked to organised crime.

Gordon Shankland pleaded guilty to offences relating to child exploitation on Friday, 26 September, 2026, at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was sentenced on Thursday, 22 October, 2026.

He was sentenced to a further 88 days in prison, with the majority of his sentence already served from when he was initially arrested in July last year.

Operation Dynos is funded by Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce, which was formed following a £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government for the year 2025/26 to tackle a rise in retail crime across the country.

Officers believe that vulnerable young people are being targeted by organised criminals to steal alcohol from stores across the west of Scotland. The stolen goods are then resold, with profits being used to purchase drugs and fund further criminal activity within the region.

Constable Sharon McDermott said: “Retail crime is not victimless and in fact, what we’ve seen are some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities being actively recruited and indoctrinated into the theft and resale of goods from stores in the region by organised criminals for their financial gain.

“This outcome highlights the crucial work of the Retail Crime Taskforce and Operation Dynos and we’re determined to bring those involved in this activity to justice.”