There have been four arrests in relation to the Scottish grain merchant Alexander Inglis and Son (AIS) which went into administration in 2021.
Police Scotland have issued the following statement: "Three men aged 75, 48 and 49 years, and a 76-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with a fraud following a police enquiry relating to a business registered in the Ormiston area of East Lothian. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
The Borders and Lothian agri-business collapsed two years ago leaving a reported 166 unsecured creditors UK-wide who were owed more than £6m by the group. However, some estimates at the time put the deficit at closer to £50m due to the amount of grain held in storage by AIS and that held on farm by cereal producers.
AIS held large quantities of grain at the time of administration, including that of customers who had bought in advance but left it in storage, third parties storing at the premises and suppliers claiming retained title for unpaid stock.
The administrators have found significant discrepancies between the claims from third parties over stocks held by the company, and what is actually in store.
Wheat stocks were estimated to be around 30k metric tonnes – 90% lower than claims received, and malting barley stocks are 60% less. It is a similar picture for other grains such as feed barley and oil seed rape.
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