SOME 79 people believed to be the victims of human trafficking were identified in Scotland in just one year, according to a new Government report.
The study published yesterday, which acknowledged there have been no successful prosecutions for human trafficking in Scotland, suggested police from victims' countries could be seconded to help local officers in a bid to tackle the problem.
It also highlighted that there were "clear links" between human trafficking and other forms of crime, including, smuggling, organised prostitution, drugs trafficking and distribution, cannabis cultivation, money laundering and serious fraud.
It claimed there was still "a lack of formal and shared understanding" of what constitutes human trafficking among some police personnel and other agencies.
The report said that Scottish police face difficulties in gathering intelligence, problems identifying victims and the language barrier.
Earlier this year a Herald investigation revealed that there are up to 700 victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation living in Scotland and that senior officers are concerned human trafficking is not a high priority for already overstretched police.
Yesterday's report said: "The picture of human trafficking in Scotland is a complex one with numerous gaps."
In England and Wales there had been a number of successful prosecutions for human trafficking, resulting in some of the largest sentences in Europe.
However, so far there have been no successful prosecutions in Scotland. One case did reach the courts in late 2007, but collapsed due to a lack of evidence.
The study was published on the same day that the terms of the European convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings came into force in the UK with some new safeguards for women, including a 45-day reflection period.
Richard Baker, Labour's justice spokesman, said: "This research paints a very worrying picture. I have already asked Fergus Ewing to set up a special unit to focus on human trafficking, and these findings emphasise the need for such a unit to be set up as soon as possible."
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