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    Police raid barbers and vape shops suspected of being fronts for crime gangs
    United Kingdom

    Police raid barbers and vape shops suspected of being fronts for crime gangs

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    23 Comments

    1. SheepishSwan on

      Different situations, but lots of people on here were saying Russell brand was “innocent until proven guilty”.

      I wonder if these people will get the same treatment?

    3. dingo_deano on

      These establishments a hot bed of illegal activity, slave labour , drug dealing, tax dodging, and sex abuse – “What a surprise !!!” Said absolutely nobody.

    5. scouse_till_idie on

      Only 10 of the 300 raided were shut down, many up and running minutes after the police left 

    6. CE123400 on

      Seems like the kind of thing where AI will be a very useful tool.

      An AI can basically monitor all these shops’ financials (based on shop type, region, probably some ownership red flags) and instantly flag bullshit/outliers.

      At some point AI CCTV monitoring could probably be worked in too to work check if footfall tallies up with the financials.

    7. After-Dentist-2480 on

      Nice to see the government instructing the National Crime Agency to do something about this issue.

      It’s almost as if the previous government was happy to let people get cross about things like this, while funnelling the contents of the Exchequer to their cronies.

    8. Rourkey70 on

      Good anywhere where they only accept cash is suspect. Some fish and chip shops are the same.

    9. Upstairs-Flow-483 on

      I mean, what about the other shops that we know are money laundering? Like the chicken shops?

    10. Kipwar on

      I know vape shops and barbers is a meme at this point its that obvious. But mini marts (convenience stores) have gone under the radar for this as well, glad the article mentioned it. Theres so many of the trashy convenience stores selling tat in prime locations in Manchester.

    11. Key_Butterfly8990 on

      Well it’s about bloody time. Every town up and down the country has this going on though, are these raids really going to make a dent?

    12. Remarkable-Ad155 on

      Can’t wait for the reddit experts to come and tell us all it’s all just a racist conspiracy theory. 

    13. doitnowinaminute on

      Is it only immigrants that buy the dodgy cigs or is it more widespread in the local community?

    15. DaveyBeefcake on

      Police are quick, especially when it chiefly involves immigrants. An issue becomes common public knowledge and boom, ten to fifteen years later they move in and act.

    16. laggyteabag on

      I’m sure its just my armchair investigator talking, but I really don’t understand how this could be any more obvious.

      You walk past any phone repair shop. They’re stocked wall to wall with phone cases, zero customers, in a prime location, often right next to one, two or three phone repair shops that look exactly the same.

      Same goes for vape shops. Mountains of stock, half a dozen competing businesses within a mile radius, and zero customers.

      I used to live in the Bournemouth town center, and at one point at the end of 2020, my street had 5 barbershops, all next door to each other.

      All this whilst legitimate businesses are disappearing from the highstreet every day.

    17. IndiaVisaAdvice on

      I can’t stand the prick, but everyone laughed and looked at Farage like he was on drugs when he brought up the issue of the influx of barber shops on high streets

    18. Horror_Extension4355 on

      Ah the classic mini market on every northern high street now. Windows covered, no trade. And people wonder why reform are gaining so much traction. It’s the blatant audacity of it all.

      Come to Bradford there is one deserted street in the centre with 7-8 mobile phone shops on it.

    19. NWTravellerUK on

      why should anyone involved with criminal activities be allowed to get away with it? Too soft in this country thats why it attracts criminals! About time the police started to clamp down on whoever. Its a start and i hope the greedy gets laundering money end up in prison. None of that money ends up in govt as tax, to be used on fixing all thats broke. No, that cash comes from all the decent honest working folk inc myself. Lock em up and throw away the key!

    20. radiant_0wl on

      In the article it states that the stores operates again minutes after the police raid, even witnessed them being restocked with suspected illicit cigarettes.

      Concerning how little impact the raids seem to have. I’m not sure what the answer is.

    21. KilmarnockDave on

      I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single customer in a vape shop in the years that I’ve walked past them. Everyone I know that vapes just buys them online.