I just wanted to update constituents that•Police Scotland have made seven arrests as part of an on-going operation to tackle crime in the South of Edinburgh.

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A number of properties in the Gilmerton and Inch areas of the city were targeted at the beginning of the week and seven people were arrested and charged with a variety of offences. They appeared at Edinburgh Sherriff Court on Monday.

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Following firearms incidents in the south of the city over the past couple of weeks, police are cracking down on crime in the area to keep people safe.

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Detective Superintendent David Gordon said: “Police Scotland has a zero tolerance approach to gun crime and we are targeting the areas affected and criminal activity. We are carrying out interviews, searching premises and acting on intelligence and information provided by the public. But we still need the community to tell us what they know about those involved in gun crime and to assist us in ensuring we have safer communities.

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The arrests today are as a result of geographically focused disruption following the discharge of firearms. Police Scotland will use all tactics at our disposal to prevent gun crime and the simple way to avoid Police enforcement is to have nothing to do with firearms or others who use them.

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Four men have been detained for a variety of offences in the South of Edinburgh following recent firearms incidents. https://t.co/w2nfJeRk72

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– EdinburghPolice (@EdinburghPolice) September 26, 2014

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Our enquiries are continuing into the incidents over the last couple of weeks and there will be further enforcement activity and more arrests. We will maintain a visible and strong position within the south of the city to demonstrate that this unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated and anyone in possession of illegal firearms will be dealt with robustly.”

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The police will continue to deploy officers on community reassurance patrols for the foreseeable future, and I would ask constituents to phone 101 if they have any information that may assist the police in their investigations.

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