Van belonging to homeless charity at centre of prison drug probe

A charity is at the centre of a probe after class A drugs were smuggled into Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison in one of its delivery vans.

The drugs were found as part of a delivery of electrical appliances being sent for testing by the Edinburgh Furniture Initiative – a social enterprise run by homeless charity Four Square.

Four Square describes itself as being a “major provider of services for homeless and other vulnerable people in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland for more than 35 years.”

It runs what it terms “a range of innovative responses to their needs” with its major business being furniture recycling.

It makes twice monthly deliveries to Saughton with vans full of white good and small domestic appliances which are sent for safety testing by inmates.

The drugs were found as part of a wider operation which snared over £150,000 worth of class A drugs including heroin and cocaine.

It has been reported valium was found in microwaves being delivered in the Four Square van.

Heather Arni, chief executive of Four Square, confirmed to TFN an investigation was underway.

She said: "Four Square is cooperating fully with Police Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service over the incident that took place on Monday 23rd at Saughton Prison.

"As this is a ‘live’ Police Scotland Investigation we are unable to comment at this stage.

"Four Square takes this matter extremely seriously and we have begun a full internal investigation."

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland added: "Police Scotland can confirm that a significant quantity of drugs were recovered at HMP Edinburgh on 23 January and enquiries are ongoing."