Thousands of businesses ‘to be raided’ amid nationwide crackdown on shops with links to organised crime
The government has announced the establishment of a new specialist policing unit to target criminal gangs operating in illegal high street businesses across the UK.
The initiative, backed by £20 million, will see a dedicated National Crime Agency (NCA) cell co-ordinate a national response and will be overseen by security minister Dan Jarvis, with a separate unit tasked with developing solutions.
The Home Office has confirmed that 75 new police officers will be recruited across the country, specifically to tackle street gangs.
The move comes amid alarming predictions from Trading Standards suggesting half of convenience stores and e-cigarette retailers in some areas are linked to organized crime.
Additionally, one-third of America’s confectionery stores and one in four fast-food takeaways in certain locations are suspected of acting as fronts for illegal activities.
The announcement follows a BBC investigation that revealed how people smugglers were directing migrants to pay for illegal Channel crossings through a network of UK-registered businesses, including high street shops. The new unit aims to dismantle these criminal operations embedded in local communities.
Budgets for Local Government Trading Standards services have been cut by up to 50% over the last decade and staffing has been cancelled.
Trading Standards warned that this coincided with the rapid spread of dodgy shops across the UK, as resources for other key enforcement agencies, including the police, were reduced.
Trading standards will be boosted with £6m of additional funding under Home Office plans and new officer training to spot suspicious businesses will be introduced.
A further £1.5 million will go to Immigration and £1.35 million to HMRC.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said: “Criminal gangs are exploiting our high streets to launder their dirty money and undermine honest businesses.
“We are responding with a nationwide crackdown to shut down these fronts, seize dirty money, remove organized crime from our high streets and put bosses behind bars.”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that thousands of businesses were expected to be raided, hundreds of arrests and millions in cash seized as a result of the financing.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Labour has done more damage to our high streets than 75 officers could fix. “There are 1,300 fewer police officers under Labor, a massive increase in business rates, anti-business legislation, business tax, the list goes on.
“Crime and anti-social behavior are at unacceptably high levels, with too many people every day witnessing things that make them angry and concerned.
“The Tories have a plan to take back our streets that will triple stop and search, roll out live facial recognition to the worst crime spots and put 10,000 extra police officers on the streets, backed by £800m, to repair the damage done by Labor in less than two years.”
