FOI Request - Surveillance Operations 2
FOI 101002762564
1. Please would you be so kind to confirm whether or not it is accurate, from your response, to say there were 10 separate (RIPSA authorised) operations over the requested period?
2. I appreciate you have given me all the start and termination dates, but please can you confirm (as I am not sure if the start/end dates are inclusive or not) how long all the operations were active for in days in total?
3. For all of the operations that reference it, could you please expand on what "suspected counterfeit goods" were being detected/suspected of being sold (for example, but not limited to alcohol, cigarettes etc).
4. For all of the operations that reference it, could you please expand on what the council was trying to detect when covertly communicating with an "unlicensed and disguised business second hand car dealer" (were you trying to find evidence to close the premises i.e. garage, for example, as it was thought to be unlicensed or were you trying to catch the suspected offenders operating a 'front' for another business which dealt in/ advertised illegal cars?)
5. Can you please outline the CHIS role in the three operations this was mentioned (were three juveniles i.e. CHIS' used in all of the operations?)
6. What sort of online "posts" were the officers monitoring from the seller of suspected goods in the 2018 directed surveillance operation ((24/08/2018 – 31/08/2018) and the two directed surveillance operations in 2020 (30/06/2020 – 29/07/2020; 26/11/2020 – 17/02/2021). Were the CHIS' monitoring social media accounts (such as Facebook, Instagram etc- please specify if so)
7. For all the operations, please can you also tell me the prosecutorial outcomes (i.e. fines/arrests/convictions/warnings) for each.
Response 28-04-2021
1. There were 9 separate operations. CHIS & DS 3 & 4 (24/08/18 – 31/08/18) related to the same operation
2. Applications numbered in date Order
1. 38 days
2. 13 days
3. 8 days
4. 8 days
5. 32 days
6. 31 days
7. 7 days
8. 19 days
9. 30 days
10. 84 days
3. 3 & 4 Suspected counterfeit clothing
7. Suspected counterfeit clothing
9. Suspected counterfeit clothing
10. Suspected counterfeit clothing
4. The requested information is exempt under section 34(1) 'Investigations by Scottish public authorities and proceedings arising out of such investigations'. The public interest in preserving the local authority's unencumbered ability to prosecute these matters outweighs the public interest in knowing the detail.
5. The requested information is exempt under section 34(1) 'Investigations by Scottish public authorities and proceedings arising out of such investigations'. The public interest in preserving the local authority's unencumbered ability to prosecute these matters outweighs the public interest in knowing the detail.
However we can advise that juveniles are not authorised as CHIS by Moray Trading Standards.
6. In all cases they were Facebook posts advertising suspected counterfeit clothing
7. The requested information is exempt under section 34(1) 'Investigations by Scottish public authorities and proceedings arising out of such investigations'. The public interest in preserving the local authority's unencumbered ability to prosecute these matters outweighs the public interest in knowing the detail.