The UK Home Office have announced that Greater Manchester Police will be part of a £20 million national crackdown on organised crime on UK high street businesses laundering money and operating in plain sight, hiding profits.
GMP will receive immediate funding to support efforts tackling organised crime gangs operating in Greater Manchester. Businesses will face a major police offensive, as part of a national crackdown on dodgy high street shops.
This comes as the National Crime Agency (NCA) estimate that at least an enormous £12 billion of criminal cash is made in the UK.
Some of these businesses are also reportedly linked to the sale of fake goods. Along with tax evasion, illegal working and illegal drug supplying.
Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said: “We are backing Greater Manchester Police with new funding, better intelligence, and more officers to target these criminal enterprises.
“The High Street Organised Crime Unit will bring together law enforcement, government, and local authorities. To put these criminal groups out of business and restore confidence on our high street.”
Jarvis explained how criminal networks are using legitimate businesses across Greater Manchester. As fronts for serious organised crime, money laundering, and illegal working.
The High Street Organised Crime Unit
The High Street Organised Crime Unit will bring together the Government, Police and Local authorities.
Providing longer-term national backing to the immediate funding for UK regions with the highest levels of organised high street crime. Alongside the West Midlands, Essex and Kent.
This additional funding will support enforcement in Rochdale, Bury, and Bolton. Areas the NCA identified as containing the highest levels of high street organised crime activity.
It will support Operation Machinize, which saw GMP carry out more than 120 visits to high-street premises. Make 14 arrests and disrupt dozens of illicit businesses. Issuing six closure notices. And referring multiple premises for regulatory and financial sanctions.
What to expect
- Thousands of businesses raided
- Hundreds of arrests made
- Millions in cash expected seized, as the national campaign intensifies.
To find out more, you can visit the Greater Manchester police website.
Main image credit: Mancunian Matters
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