Scottish Anti Illicit Trade Group names new chairman

Kenny MacAskill, a Scottish National Party and former Cabinet Secretary for Justice, has been appointed as the new chair of the Scottish Anti Illicit Trade Group (SAITG).

The SAITG – set up in 2013, acts as a public-private partnership between government, police force, Trading Standards and industry and is trying to foster a coordinated and effective response to reduce the scale, impact and cost of illicit trade throughout Scotland through activities such as intelligence gathering, standards setting and enforcement activities.

MacAskill replaces Detective Inspector Frank McCann, who is stepping down as chair of the group and retiring from a 30-year career with Central Scotland Police and Police Scotland.

The new chair studied law at the University of Edinburgh and worked as a solicitor and was a senior partner in an Edinburgh law firm, before being elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.