Teenager nicked in gang war cop probe – bringing total Operation Portaledge arrests to 49
The 17-year-old was arrested on Tuesday over two 'wilful fireraising' incidents in Edinburgh last month
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A TEENAGER has been arrested in connection with two alleged firebombings amid investigations into Scotland's gang wars - bringing the number of arrests to 49.
Cops working under Operation Portaledge nicked the 17-year-old on Tuesday over two 'wilful fireraising' incidents in Edinburgh last month.
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Cops probe the remains of a Range Rover in Campion Road on June 9
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Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry is leading Operation Portaledge
Mercy crews were called to blazes in the city's Niddrie Marischal Crescent and Campion Road after the alarm was raised in the early hours of Monday, June 9.
A statement issued today by Police Scotland said: 'He was released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.'
We told how cops have been probing an alleged firebomb attack on a plush Range Rover Evoque in the capital's Campion Road.
Sources claimed it was outside of the home of an associate of crime kingpin, Mark Richardson, 38, who is currently locked up at HMP Low Moss.
Earlier on the same day a Ford Transit van was allegedly set on fire on Niddrie Marischal Crescent as cops revealed both incidents could be linked.
The latest arrest comes a week after two men appeared in court in connection with the same crackdown.
Arran Reid, 26, and Joshua Stewart, 20, were charged with attempted murder of David McMillan - a close pal of Richardson.
They appeared in the dock the day after Owen Logan, 26, faced a charge of wilful fireraising at the same court.
He, too, was arrested as part of Police Scotland's Operation Portaledge - an ongoing probe into alleged gang violence in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Logan, of Edinburgh, was charged in connection with a fire at Belle Cheveux beauty salon in the city's Albert Street in Edinburgh on Thursday, March 6.
The DOWNFALL of Scotland's biggest gangster - Jamie 'The Iceman' Stevenson Part Two
The force has said a dedicated team of officers from the Specialist Crime Division, with support from local divisions across the country, continue to carry out extensive enquiries.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry said: 'Our continued activity and arrests show our commitment to targeting organised crime and bringing those responsible to justice.
'We continue to investigate and follow a number of positive lines of enquiry.
'The support and response from the public has been excellent, and I am grateful for the assistance given to us and that continued support from local communities is crucial as we progress our enquiries.
'If you know anything that could assist our ongoing investigation, please do the right thing and speak to us.'
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