Wash and go - Police raid bogus barber shops in high street blitz

You take a walk down the street, you notice another new barbershop has opened up, amongst the dozens of others already up and running. You question ‘are there even enough heads that need a haircut?’ I have thought the same. When you notice suspicious activities in your area please report it. Because when you do, that intelligence goes towards action.

The Constabulary recently worked as part of a national money-laundering campaign to identify barbershops in the country, as well as here in Gloucestershire, that could be harbouring criminality.

This extensive operation was another prime example of partnership working as officers from Gloucestershire Police, The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Immigration, Trading Standards and HMRC took part across the county.

As a result, a total of 11 barber shops in Gloucestershire were visited by the various agencies as part of the operation.

There were a number of arrests for a range of offences, including suspicion of burglary, possession of a Class A drug, suspicion of supplying Class A and Class B drugs, and possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

The action was part of Operation Machinize, a national operation spearheaded by the National Crime Agency, targeting barbershops and other cash-intensive businesses during a three-week crackdown on high street crime.

A total of 265 premises were visited across England.

I hope this intensive action reassures the public that; if you tell us about your suspicions we will do something. A police force runs on intelligence to get ahead of perpetrators and stop them doing further harm.

This most recent crackdown, which was part of the National Crime Agencies’ 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.

Organised crime groups will exploit anyone and anything to make themselves more money. I am pleased to see robust action nationally and locally to hinder them. No one deserves to have criminals running their local shops. Crime should never pay.