Police Team to Target Barbershops in Crackdown on Criminal Gangs

Barbershops and vape stores suspected of being used by organised crime groups to launder illicit funds are set to come under increased scrutiny as part of a major police crackdown on "dirty money".

More than 500 officers will be recruited with £550 million in government funding to target organised crime groups involved in laundering proceeds from drug dealing, people trafficking and illegal immigration operations.

The £550 million package, spread over three years and funded through the economic crime levy, forms part of the government's wider strategy to tackle money laundering and recover criminal assets, which is due to be published today.

The additional officers will be deployed across police forces, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service. Some will strengthen existing organised crime units, while others will form dedicated teams focused on financial investigations.

The new officers will work alongside a £20 million NCA unit tasked with identifying and disrupting businesses being used as fronts for organised crime. A further 75 police officers have already been recruited to tackle criminal networks operating on the high street.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the investment would put hundreds more officers on the trail of illicit funds and help authorities target the criminal bosses behind organised crime.

She said the government would focus on seizing the profits used to finance drug trafficking, people smuggling and other serious offences, with the aim of disrupting major criminal networks, protecting communities and ensuring that crime does not pay.

The Johnson Partnership, Derby