North Wales PCC welcomes £30m UK crackdown on organised crime in high street shops
The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin has welcomed a £30 million UK Government crackdown on organised crime in high street shops.
The new programme, announced in Parliament on Monday 19 May, will target barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops linked to money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working.
The National Crime Agency estimates at least £1 billion is laundered every year through high street businesses in the UK.
A new High Street Organised Crime Unit will bring together the National Crime Agency, police forces, HMRC, Immigration Enforcement and Trading Standards to carry out raids, closures and cash seizures.
Of the £30 million package, £20 million will fund enforcement, including 75 new officers across the National Crime Agency, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands Police and a joint Kent and Essex Police unit.
A further £6 million will go to Trading Standards in what the Home Office describes as at-risk local authorities, although individual local authority allocations have not yet been published.
PCC Dunbobbin, who is also the joint lead on business and retail crime for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said he had heard concerns directly from business owners during recent visits to towns in north Wales.
PCC Dunbobbin said: “High streets are the heart of our communities and the vast majority of businesses in North Wales are doing the right thing, supporting jobs, growth and local pride. But I regularly hear concerns from residents, local councillors and business owners about the impact of crime, including shoplifting and the presence of businesses operating outside the law.
“The Government’s new High Street Organised Crime Unit is a clear recognition that this is a serious national issue, and it is right that enforcement agencies are coming together to target those involved in organised criminality.
“My visits to towns such as Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llangollen and Llandudno have reinforced just how important it is that we maintain a visible policing presence and strong local partnerships alongside any national response. As part of my Plan to tackle crime in North Wales, I will continue to work with local Police and partners to ensure our town centres remain safe, welcoming and thriving places for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Criminal gangs have exploited our high streets to launder their dirty money and undercut honest businesses. We are hitting back with a nationwide crackdown to shut these fronts down, seize dirty cash and drive organised crime off our high streets and put bosses behind bars.”
The National Crime Agency said its existing high street economic crime operation, Operation Machinize, has seen more than 950 people arrested and more than £10 million worth of criminal value seized over the past 18 months.
Its most recent intensification in November visited 2,734 premises, made 924 arrests, and seized or restrained more than £13 million of suspected criminal proceeds.
The Home Office said thousands of businesses are expected to be raided under the programme over three years.
A rapid review of local enforcement powers is also underway, including a consultation on extending the duration of closure orders to shut criminal businesses for longer.
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