Police seize more than £500k in funds in crackdown on money laundering businesses
The region's police say they seized more than £500,000 in funds during raids on businesses used for money laundering.
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West Mercia Police said its officers had raided properties across Shropshire, including Oakengates, Telford, as well as Herefordshire and Worcestershire in March, as part of a targeted effort to combat criminal gangs using barbershops and other businesses as fronts for fraud, money laundering, and the sale of illicit goods.
As part of the operation, 33 warrants were executed across all three counties, focusing on gangs exploiting barbershops and other premises to conceal illegal cash flow.
A spokesman for the force said: "While these businesses appeared legitimate, they were, in reality, tools for financial crime.
"Working alongside Trading Standards, West Midlands Fire and Rescue, Immigration, and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, we seized over £500,000 in illegal funds and £16,000 in cash and arrested four individuals. Additionally, Trading Standards carried out three warrants, and Immigration made three further arrests."
The force said its Economic Crime Unit is 'leading the way' nationally in tackling financial crime.
Since April 2024, more than £6 million in criminal assets have been seized, disrupting the financial networks that support organised crime.
Detective Inspector Dan Fenn, from our Economic Crime team, said: “Organised crime groups are opportunistic and exploit legitimate businesses, such as barbershops, to hide their illegal cash flow. The high cash turnover of these businesses makes them ideal for disguising illicit activities.
“Our work during the operation sends a clear message to these crime networks: we will not tolerate criminal activity in our communities.
“Following these warrants, 34 intelligence reports have been submitted, helping to build a stronger intelligence picture and supporting future operations.
“Community intelligence played a key role in this operation. Some of the information used to plan these raids came from public tip-offs. That local support is invaluable, and we encourage anyone with information about businesses involved in money laundering to report it.”
Anyone with information about businesses involved in fraud, money laundering, or the sale of illicit goods, can report it online, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
