Mr Pearson said the SDEA will work with other agencies

The body's newly appointed director, Graeme Pearson, said organised gangs would take part in human trafficking if there was money to be made.

His statement came during a launch of the agency's annual report on Monday.

Domestically, Mr Pearson said his aim was to seize �21m of cash and assets in the next year from Scotland's "Mr Bigs" in the drugs field.

He believed the agency's work would leave criminals with "only the shirts on their backs".

Mr Pearson said: "Whilst tackling drugs remains a major part of our efforts, there is a real shift in emphasis, with the agency adopting a holistic approach in tackling serious organised crime.

Jailed criminals will no longer be able to return from prison to their previous life of luxury Graeme Pearson SDEA

"The next year will be a watershed for the SDEA as we prepare to move up a gear and hit the criminals hard using the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) 2002 to target the cash and assets belonging to major criminals.

"Criminals see jail as a tax which they can plan for as a part of their criminal activity.

"What PoCA allows us to do is strip them of everything right down to the last penny in their bank account and leave them with nothing but the shirt on their back.

"My aim is to seize �21m of cash and assets over the next year.

"Seizing cash and stripping away assets deals a major blow to criminals. Jailed criminals will no longer be able to return from prison to their previous life of luxury."

Mr Pearson took up the post in March.

'Modern slavery'

The SDEA said it arrested 195 people in 2003/04 and disrupted 96 criminal networks.

Mr Pearson said the SDEA would continue working with the Scottish Executive, the Crown Office, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the National Crime Squad and Scotland's police forces.

The UK Immigration Service and HM Customs and Excise would also help the SDEA in its work.

Mr Pearson said: "If we don't hold up the defences against those who would engage in human smuggling, they will bring people anywhere that they think they can achieve profit.

"So, if there's an industry in Scotland that they think they can profit from, they will bring people here and, in my experience, it's a modern form of slavery."