Organised crime gangs using high streets across the East Midlands as a front for illegal activity are set to face a major police crackdown, with rogue barber shops, vape stores and mini-marts firmly in the firing line.
Under a new £30 million offensive, authorities will target businesses suspected of links to money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working, with raids, closures and cash seizures planned across the country over the next three years.
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The government says the move will focus on shops operating “in plain sight” while funnelling criminal cash, with thousands of premises expected to be checked and hundreds of arrests anticipated.
Around £20 million will fund an enhanced law enforcement response, including a new coordination unit based within the National Crime Agency (NCA). Officers will work across forces to build intelligence and step up action in hotspot areas.
A further £6 million will be handed to Trading Standards teams to help identify and shut down sham businesses, alongside new training designed to spot suspicious activity and improve enforcement on the ground.
The crackdown also includes the launch of a new High Street Organised Crime Unit, bringing together police, government departments and regulators in a coordinated national effort.
Security minister Dan Jarvis will oversee the unit, which will explore tougher powers — including extending closure orders so criminal businesses can be shut down for longer.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said gangs had been “exploiting high streets to launder dirty money and undercut honest businesses”.
“We are hitting back with a nationwide crackdown to shut these fronts down, seize dirty cash and drive organised crime off our high streets,” the Home Secretary said.
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The NCA estimates at least £12 billion of criminal cash is generated in the UK every year, with around £1 billion believed to be laundered through high street businesses such as barber shops and vape stores.
Recent enforcement activity under Operation Machinize has already seen more than 900 arrests and millions of pounds seized, with officials warning the problem is widespread and linked to other crimes including drug supply and trafficking.
Authorities say the new measures will put that work on a permanent footing — with yearly operations designed to disrupt gangs and protect legitimate businesses.
