We are concerned that this type of organised crime is increasing in Scotland

Chief Inspector Andrew Cameron

Justice Minister Jim Wallace has decided to press ahead with the change north of the border rather than wait for Westminster to act.

Scotland Yard warned earlier this year that the trade in prostitutes from the Third World and from Eastern European countries was growing.

Hundreds of women and children are thought to be brought to Britain ever year.

Chief Inspector Andrew Cameron, of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said: "We are concerned that this type of organised crime is increasing in Scotland.

"We do work with our partners across the UK and we are very much co-ordinated in terms of making sure that we control it and that indeed we make a significant impact on it."

Jim Wallace wants to close loopholes

The UK Government is currently bringing in changes to the law at Westminster.

However, these will only plug some of the loopholes, leaving others to be addressed at a later date.

Scotland is to go further by bringing in a new offence of trafficking - not just from overseas, but also within the UK.

Mr Wallace said there were some laws in place which could address the problem, but admitted that there were loopholes.

"That actually makes it easier for organised crime to traffic in people rather than to traffic in drugs," he said.

"They face less chance of being prosecuted and sentences won't be severe.

Other countries

"We believe that in sheer terms of human dignity that's a loophole in the law that has got to be tightened up."

The trafficking of women and children is well-hidden in Scotland.

Douglas Hamilton of Barnardo's Scotland acknowledged that the full scale of the problem was not known.

"We are aware that there is an increasing phenomenon of young people that are trafficked from other countries," he said.

"But most of it seems to be organised and goes on behind closed doors, so to be honest we don't know the full extent of what goes on and the ages of those involved."