More than 920 people have been arrested in a nationwide operation targeting organised crime linked to High Street businesses, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed. Coordinated under Operation Machinize, the month-long campaign raided over 2,700 premises, including mini-marts, vape shops, barbers, and takeaways.
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The raids resulted in the seizure of more than £10.7 million in criminal proceeds, including illegal tobacco and vapes, £500,000 in cash, and 70kg of cannabis. Authorities also issued over 340 notices for illegal working and renting, with companies and landlords facing fines, while more than 450 registered companies have been referred to Companies House for further investigation.
The crackdown followed a BBC investigation exposing networks of "ghost directors" and Kurdish crime fixers offering to erase fines for illegal working. Rachael Herbert, director of the NCA's National Economic Crime Centre, said, "Thousands of officers have been deployed up and down our country, targeting criminal profits and the means of generating them."
Home Office security minister Dan Jarvis described the "dodgy shops" as fronts for organised crime, money laundering, and illegal employment. The operation involved all UK police forces alongside Trading Standards, HMRC, and Immigration Enforcement. MPs and trade bodies are calling for stronger legislative powers and harsher penalties to tackle serious crime on the High Street.
Source: www.retailgazette.co.uk
