Britain’s largest coordinated crackdown on high street criminality has led to more than 920 arrests and the confiscation of £10.7million in illicit proceeds.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) spearheaded the unprecedented operation, which saw 2,734 establishments raided throughout October.
Mini-marts, vape retailers, barbershops and takeaway restaurants were among the businesses targeted in the nationwide sweep.
Every police force across the United Kingdom took part in Operation Machinize, including the Metropolitan Police, Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Authorities uncovered vast quantities of contraband, including illegal tobacco worth £3.5million in evaded duty, over £500,000 in cash and 70 kilograms of cannabis.
The month-long enforcement action also resulted in more than 340 notices being issued for illegal working and renting violations.
Syndicates employed “ghost directors” who appeared on official documentation while having no involvement in actual business operations.
Senior politicians have identified these criminal enterprises as magnets for illegal migration into Britain.
The National Crime Agency led an unprecedented operation raiding 2,734 establishments across October
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West Yorkshire officers uncovered an alleged investment fraud scheme operating through a jewellery shop, seizing assets exceeding £2million.
The haul included gold bars, a £500,000 ring and thirty luxury timepieces, among them Patek Philippe watches.
A solicitor owning an unmortgaged property valued above £1million allegedly authorised £800,000 in payments linked to the money-laundering operation.
Trading standards officers in Plymouth discovered counterfeit Labubu dolls posing choking hazards to infants, with detachable eyes presenting serious risks.
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Met Police teams in Brixton raided six vape, phone accessory and fragrance shops along one street simultaneously
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Metropolitan Police teams in Brixton simultaneously raided six shops selling vapes, mobile phone accessories and fragrances along a single street.
Technology specialists identified numerous fake Apple products, all bearing identical serial numbers on their packaging.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “Criminals are using these dodgy shops as fronts for serious organised crime, money laundering and illegal working, risking the future of the British High Street.
“We have intensified our joint efforts with law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and relentlessly pursue those who use dirty money for personal gain.”
Rachael Herbert, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: “Thousands of officers have been deployed up and down our country, targeting criminal profits and the means of generating them.”
She said confiscating criminal assets restricts funds available for reinvestment in further illegal activities and deters offenders from occupying spaces that legitimate enterprises could use.
Criminal cash generation in Britain reaches approximately £12billion annually, with funds typically smuggled abroad or channelled through financial networks for reinvestment in illegal enterprises.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) identified organised crime infiltration of High Streets as its members’ primary concern.
More than 20 Labour MPs have united behind a campaign to eliminate illicit businesses, led by Melanie Onn, who represents Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
Ms Onn has been a leading figure on this issue
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The group is calling for enhanced legislative authority and tougher sanctions for offenders.
Cash-intensive establishments have multiplied dramatically across British high streets, with regions such as Essex and Doncaster seeing 200 per cent growth in barbershop numbers within five years.
More than 450 companies face investigation by Companies House following the operation.
Trading standards representatives are seeking strengthened resources and expanded powers to shut down criminal enterprises permanently.
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