Police have received reports from more than 70 people regarding the practices of a funeral directors as they continue their investigation into missing ashes.
Operation Koine was launched in April last year following reports relating to the former A Milne Independent Funeral Directors in the Glasgow and Dumbarton areas.
Police said they were working through “hundreds of lines of inquiry” as part of the investigation into alleged mishandling of cremated remains and alleged fraud. In some cases, families discovered they had been given the wrong ashes.
Two women, aged 37 and 55, and a 56-year-old man were arrested in connection with the inquiry and released pending further inquiries.
Police have confirmed that 18 lots of ashes were recovered as part of their investigation. Five are yet to be identified.
They said they had received reports from more than 70 people but believed a larger number may be affected.
They have urged anyone in that position to contact them and said they would be investigating every report.
Det Supt Robert Bowie said: “This is an unprecedented investigation for Police Scotland and one of the largest ongoing financial inquiries.
“I want to reassure the public. We have a dedicated team working through hundreds of lines of inquiry. Although the work we’re doing may not be visible, we are committed to fully investigating.
“I’m appealing to anyone with concerns regarding the handling of cremated remains or pre-paid funeral plans with this former funeral directors to come forward.”
Mr Bowie said the “vast majority” of complaints related to alleged fraudulent prepaid funeral plans.
He added that most cremated remains recovered from previous A Milne premises had been returned to families or dealt with according to families’ wishes but added that there is a “small amount” left unclaimed.
“As it stands, there is still a small amount of cremated remains which remain unclaimed and unidentified, and that’s what we’re looking to achieve through traditional lines of inquiry,” he said.
Specialist officers, including those from the Financial Investigations Unit, are involved in the investigation.
Jackie Barnes, 58, from Dumbarton, is one of the people affected.
She scattered the ashes she believed were her mother’s alongside her father’s in January 2024.
But months later she was contacted to say her mother’s ashes were found during a police search at the company’s Springburn branch.
Ms Barnes’ husband Danny had died in December 2020, the year before her mother.
She now has concerns over the authenticity of his ashes.
She told Scotland News: “I just want to put this to rest. It’s been a lot.”
She said she did not know for sure if her husband’s ashes were the correct ones but eventually decided to have them scattered with those of her son, who died a number of years previously.
“Every night I’d look at my husband [the urn] and say ‘Are you my husband?’ It does play on your mind. I just thought I need to put them in with my son, whether it was Danny or not.
“They can’t do DNA with ashes so I just have to put it out of my head. But it’s hard, thinking is it him? Is it not him?
“I thought they’d given me my mum back but they gave me someone we will never know – some family will never know who I’ve scattered.
“They don’t know the devastation they’ve caused people.”
She added: “I want to see justice and for them to own up to what they’ve done to people and how much hurt they’ve caused, not only financially but physically and emotionally.
“They’ve got to apologise to everyone they’ve hurt but I don’t think they will.”
Ms Barnes says she ended up having seven months of counselling and could not have managed without the support of her close friend of 30 years Liz Ruine, 72, who lost money after paying into a funeral plan with the same company.
She had paid more than £3,100 but received nothing back when she was told they were no longer in business.
“I’ve accepted I won’t get the money back,” she said. “Sometimes I have a bit of guilt about the money because I’ve not lost a relative or anything.
“I just hope I’ve helped people I’ve spoken to. Hearing their stories has been really harrowing.
“When the stuff about the ashes came out it just became unbelievable. Then you think ‘nobody would do that’
“It’s hard to believe they could do that to people when they’re at their most vulnerable?
“Families might not even know that their elderly parents had taken out plans.
“It’s just devastating for everybody.”
Kate Wallace, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “Finding out that your loved one may not have been cared for in the way they would have wanted following their death is extremely upsetting and shocking.
“This, combined with the added possibility of fraud in relation to funeral plans, further adds to an already distressing and traumatic time.
“We have been closely monitoring developments and related investigations in England and Wales for some time, and remain committed to ensuring that victims of this crime are able to access the support services available to them.”
Victim Support Scotland said it was working closely with Police Scotland to explore a package of support for people affected.
Its helpline is available on 0800 160 1985, with a webchat service also on offer.
Anyone with information can email police at www.operationkoinescotland.police.uk.
