Exposed: The shady crime network of mini-marts helping migrants work illegally that spans the length of the UK
A criminal network is helping migrants find work in minimarkets selling illegal cigarettes and e-cigarettes on high streets across the country.
Kurdish network revealed BBC News In the investigation, undercover reporters posed as refugees to speak to a business involved in the scheme.
Ghost company executives are paid to take over stores in their name but play no role in running the business.
The managers running the scam often have dozens of stores listed under their name at Companies House.
They are run by immigrants who then pay the managers a monthly sum to run the stores.
An investigation revealed that the operation was wide-ranging and had connections to more than 100 mini markets, barbershops and car washes.
A financial crime investigator also suggested the scale could be even larger.
Shady businesses typically operate for about 12 months before disbanding and reopening.
Kurdish store worker Surchi tells undercover journalists his asylum request was rejected
He runs the Top Store in Crewe, one of hundreds of businesses employing immigrants in his criminal network
The investigation found a shop worker named Surchi, who sought asylum in the UK after arriving in 2022 and was rejected but remained in the UK.
He ran a mini-market in Crewe and told undercover journalists he could sell the business for cash without needing an accountant.
Surchi was considering selling the business for £18,000 and said the unregistered sale could be completed within minutes.
Hidden footage also showed him telling reporters how he could avoid paying his electricity bills by using a trick to stop the meter from working.
The Kurdish migrant said he paid another man £250 a month to have his name on business documents.
He told reporters he had never paid council tax and had not registered the company.
He also admitted that he had regular customers as young as 12 who purchased tobacco and e-cigarettes.
The shop worker also told how he kept the bulk of his stock in a duty-free car to hide it from Trading Standards officers during the day.
His shop was once raided for selling illegal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, and he had to pay a fine of £200.
Surchi told undercover journalists he wanted to sell the business for £18,000
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said: ‘Illegal work and associated organized crime creates an incentive for people to come here illegally. We won’t stand for this.’
The investigation also revealed that there was a Kurdish Facebook group listing illegal businesses for sale.
Kurdish builders have also offered to build elaborate hideouts to hide illegal e-cigarettes and cigarettes.
With no hope of legal employment, some of the migrants worked for as little as £4 an hour.
This coincides with the growing popularity of Turkish-style barber shops among drug gangs who need to launder money.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) carried out dozens of raids on shops earlier this year, making a number of arrests and seizing tens of thousands of pounds in the process.
Authorities said the operation was launched following an increase in intelligence reports linking barber shops to money laundering and other crimes. More than 750 opened in the UK last year.
NCA officers joined forces with local police forces, immigration enforcement officers and HM Revenue and Customs inspectors to carry out raids in towns and cities across Britain.
Kurdish immigrant also admitted selling illegal e-cigarettes to 12-year-olds
One method saw tax inspectors monitor the number of chairs used in a hall to determine whether the business’s declared profits matched the number of customers.
An official said that although some streets were empty most days, many barbers were making large purchases.
More than 750 barbershops opened in the UK last year, according to retail analytics firm Green Street. Since 2018, that number has increased by more than 15 percent to more than 18,000.
Traditional Turkish-style barbers are known for stylish haircuts, often complete with hot towels and a sharp-edged razor.
But the NCA investigation points to growing concerns that criminals are infiltrating the trade.
