Countrywide police crackdown targets high street businesses to disrupt £12 billion illicit cash flows

Barbershops and other businesses across the country have been targeted by law enforcement officers as part of a three-week crackdown on high street crime.

The crackdown, which is part of the NCA’s continued disruption of cash being laundered in the UK, involved 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement.

In total, 265 premises were visited across Operation Machinize, where officers secured freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executed 84 warrants and made 35 arrests.

A number of police forces up and down the country were involved in the operation including the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary who have confirmed that no arrests were made in ‘relation to this specific action’.

A Hampshire and Isle of Wight spokesperson said: “Our officers supported this National Crime Agency led operation as part of our ongoing proactive police work to tackle drug trafficking and distribution, organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, firearms, and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

“We know cash-intensive businesses are used as fronts for money laundering, facilitating some of the highest harm and highest impact offending in the UK; and whilst we did not make any arrests in relation to this specific action we will continue to ensure that our high streets and towns remain a hostile and disruptive environment to criminals looking to operate in our Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

More than £40,000 in cash, approximately 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles were seized. Two cannabis farms were also discovered with a combined total of 150 plants.

Ten shops have been shut, with further closures expected as a result of on-going investigations. The operation also resulted in 55 individuals being questioned about their immigration status and a further 97 individuals were safeguarded in relation to potential modern slavery.

The NCA has estimated that £12bn of criminal cash is generated in the UK each year, which is typically smuggled out of the country or integrated into the legitimate financial system using a variety of laundering techniques.

Cash-intensive businesses such as barbershops, vape shops, nail bars, American-themed sweet shops and car washes are often used by criminals to conceal the origins of illicit cash.

Rachael Herbert, deputy director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: “Operation Machinize targeted barbershops and other high street businesses being used as cover for a whole range of criminality, all across the country.

“We have seen links to drug trafficking and distribution, organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, firearms, and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.”

For more information about the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, click here.