Organised crime gangs in Scotland prey on vulnerable people and in some cases evict them from their homes to deal drugs, a landmark report has found.

Among the litany of ways criminal gangs exploit groups such as pensioners, addicts and the most-deprived households include financial incentives, indentured labour and threats of violence and death.

That's according to a major 18-month academic study commissioned by the Scottish Government, examining the experiences of communities affected by organised crime.

One example cited in the report was of organised crime groups identifying elderly residents vulnerable to the UK Government's so-called "bedroom tax" after it was introduced in 2013.

They would exploit worries over the financial impact of the measure by offering to pay the charge and take over spare rooms in the target's house in order to deal drugs from the address.

In another example, a woman living in a rural area claimed individuals were taking over people's tenancies and in some cases evicting them in order to deal drugs from their homes.

The study, called Community Experiences of Serious Organised Crime in Scotland, was led by Glasgow and Stirling universities with additional input from Abertay University and the University of the West of Scotland.

It seeks to provide "for the first time" focused research based on the "lived experiences of residents" in communities affected by organised crime.

A total of 188 people were surveyed including residents, local businesses, local service providers and the police.

It highlighted the links between income deprivation and associated problems like addiction, debt and mental health issues, and vulnerability to exploitation by gangs.

One respondent noted the problem of "drug users accumulating debts and becoming involved in dealing drugs to 'pay off' what they owe".

The report added: "Vulnerable people are willing to accept the potential risk of prison because they fear the consequences of informing the police about those organised criminals involved in orchestrating, and benefiting from, such crimes."

It noted that "several participants raised a specific issue around rural drug markets" regarding houses being "essentially taken over" by drug dealing groups.

One female resident claimed residents were being evicted wholesale, with participants in a focus group explaining how the owner or tenant of a property is held responsible for criminal activity on the property, regardless of whether or not they have been exploited or threatened into participating.

As a community worker put it: "They find someone vulnerable - not necessarily young, there's been single women in their 40s - and their houses are overrun, they openly deal from the place, until it's busted.

"And the homeowner gets done with intent to supply, and they're gone [the gang members]."

The report goes on to say: "Following the initial incentive of free drugs, it is the threat of violence that binds vulnerable individuals to such exploitative relationships: 'If you don't do what you're told, you'll go into the woods and you won't come back...'"

In another case, a gang using illicit cheques offered to pay the cannabis debt of a user if the user cashed the cheques for them as a way to launder the funds.

Participants in the study noted the ability of organised crime groups to "profile" members of local communities and "identify exactly" vulnerabilities to exploit, such as age, health or addiction.

The study explained: "In 2013, for example, when the UK Government announced the introduction of the 'bedroom tax', this was used by local serious organised crime groups to exploit older people and utilise their homes for criminal activity."

One housing official claimed criminal gangs had specifically targeted elderly people "whose families had grown up and moved away".

This kind of exploitation led to feelings of anxiety and insecurity among victims, including "a physical fear when you mention people's names", according to a police officer surveyed.

The general effects on residents of such anxiety can be "staying indoors, anger, substance misuse, and a lack of motivation", the study notes.

One in ten people have personally been affected by organised crime in the past three years, according to an Ipsos MORI survey.

The study makes recommendations to tackling the issue, including strengthening links between local services, particularly housing and social work, to help prevent the exploitation of vulnerable residents.

It suggests developing community resources and local policing to support community intelligence-gathering.

The study also recommends legislation offering greater powers to respond to exploitation and a new criminal offence of "coercive control".

The study also found a glamourised view of serious organised crime in some pockets of Scotland's communities, a view often inherited generationally.

Many in deprived communities, particularly young people, see the "visibility of success" in the form of "flash cars and ready cash".

Police should challenge the myths around organised crime and communicate the "real-world consequences of being drawn into" that world, the report recommended.

Its research and recommendations are to be discussed by a meeting of Scotland's serious organised crime task force at the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, on Monday.

Speaking ahead of that meeting, justice secretary Michael Matheson said: "Recent high-profile convictions of people involved in organised crime, supported by strong partnership work at the Crime Campus, send a clear message that Scotland is a hostile environment for those who prey on our communities.

"This in-depth report offers personal perspectives on the effects of organised crime locally, particularly on the vulnerable.

"It builds our understanding of the impact of such crime and how best we can support people and protect them from harm."

He added: "We will consider carefully the recommendations as we continue strengthening our collective approach to tackling and preventing organised crime."

Dr Alistair Fraser, of Glasgow University, said: "For the first time, we have been able to hear from people living in communities across Scotland where organised crime is part of everyday life.

"The study shows that while organised crime might be thought of as glamorous, it is rooted in deep and enduring forms of harm and exploitation at community level."

Dr Niall Hamilton-Smith, Stirling University researcher, added: "Tackling serious organised crime can no longer be seen as principally a policing issue.

"We need a stronger set of partnerships across policing, community groups and service providers in order to better identify and address vulnerability and exploitation linked to organised crime."