Aberdeen’s law enforcement personnel recently assumed an unexpected, temporary role as fast-food delivery drivers, stepping in after a targeted enforcement operation disrupted local services. The police initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Home Office, aimed to address the use of illegal e-bikes and investigate alleged immigration offences among individuals engaged in food delivery within the city.
The joint deployments spanned five distinct evenings between Monday, 17 August, and Friday, 4 September, 2026. During this period, officers from Aberdeen’s Community Action Team, working alongside Home Office officials, conducted patrols across Aberdeen City. Their efforts led to a series of interventions designed to curb non-compliant activity within the gig economy’s delivery sector.
The enforcement action yielded significant results: eleven illegal e-bikes were seized, and twelve individuals were formally charged with various road traffic offences. Furthermore, three persons were charged in connection with alleged immigration offences, underscoring the multi-faceted nature of the operation. The seizures highlight an ongoing effort to ensure adherence to both traffic regulations and immigration laws among those operating in the delivery sector.
In two specific instances, the operations directly impacted ongoing food deliveries, with officers seizing illegal e-bikes midway through their routes. To mitigate disruption and ensure customer satisfaction, officers from the Community Action Team took the unusual step of completing these outstanding orders. An image circulated on social media by Police Scotland depicted an officer carrying a branded Deliveroo bag outside a residential block, as testament to their unexpected intervention.
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Detailing the scope and outcomes of the action, Police Scotland North East stated:
“On five evenings between Monday, 17 August and Friday, 4 September, 2026, officers from the Community Action Team worked alongside officers from the Home Office to carry out patrols of Aberdeen City, targeting illegal e-bike usage and any immigration offences carried out by the riders. From these joint deployments, eleven illegal e-bikes were seized with twelve people charged for various road traffic offences. Three persons were charged for immigration offences. On two of these occasions, the illegal e-bikes were seized mid food delivery. To ensure the members of the public did not go without their meals, officers from the Community Action Team completed these deliveries.”
This operation in Aberdeen is part of a broader, intensified enforcement drive across Scotland targeting the use of illegally modified e-bikes and related regulatory breaches. Prior efforts have included a collaboration between Police Scotland and the Home Office in Edinburgh last year, which saw four individuals arrested for working in contravention of their immigration conditions. Similarly, in North Lanarkshire, local police have partnered with the council to address concerns surrounding dangerous e-bike and e-scooter usage within the community. These actions indicate a concerted, nationwide approach to these issues.
