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Police are warning about criminals who have infiltrated the barber industry and appear as “Turkish barbers” without being properly trained.
The National Criminal Agency (NCA) stormed many barber shops in March this year and seized hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illegal funds to target criminal gangs as part of the operation.
The shop is suspected of illegal immigrant jobs and tax fraud, and an NCA attack with West Mercia police, targeting Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
The crackdown has seized a total of £500,000 illegal funds and £16,000 in cash, but seven people have been arrested. Official estimates show that around £6 million has been seized since mechanization was implemented.
The NCA said there is “intelligence” that links the use of barbershops and “other cash-intensive businesses” to money laundering and other forms of criminality. The agency added that this has risen in recent years.
Turkish barbers are known for their clients' high quality work and relaxed approach. With hot towels and “ear flames”, customers will look smart and feel better.
However, hardworking and well-trained barbers were affected by alleged criminals using barbershops as a frontline for illegal businesses.
It appears that UK customers are also affected by bad cuts from less well-trained fake barbers. Many people have taken them to social media sites like Tiktok, revealing patch fades and volatile cuts.
Despite the general decline on the UK's high streets, doubts were raised when 750 barber shops opened last year alone.
So how do public members find dangerous barbers?
Find a bad barber
The best way to find a dangerous barber is to lack quality in their work.
We recommend checking online reviews before you book or take part in a walk-in.
Don't be afraid to rely on word of mouth, as many local businesses, such as barbers, have built up years of trust with the local community.
Speaking online via email, the real barber warned that people from various places posing as Turkish people, but that they can easily spot them if they are handing out low-quality cuts.
Selcuk Dokuzluoglu operates a Turkish barber in South Shields near Newcastle, with approximately eight Turkish style barbers in a two-mile radius.
He trained for many years to become a barber, first learning from his Turkish father and grandfather, then cutting the hair of a Saudi prince in the United Arab Emirates.
Dokzluogl, who owns a Royal Turkish barber, said some places simply try to make as much cash as possible and they are not concerned about the quality they are offering to their clients.
He said: “Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have certain styles of hair cutting, but Turkish barbers here don’t have styles.
“It gets very fast here and takes place in five minutes. Then the client leaves to go somewhere and the shop wonders why they become so quiet.”
Muhammed Saleh, who works for Dokuzluoglu, says that in some shops they are Turkish to attract clients, but in reality they may have come from other places such as Iraq, Iran, Syria and others. Others may be from European countries such as Bulgaria or the Czech Republic.
Saleh argued that real Turkish barbers tend to provide better, higher quality services, just like Italian restaurants run by Italians.
Ihesh Ghafor works at Morfose Traditional Turkish Barbers in Killingworth near Newcastle. He said he finds it difficult to compete with the massive number of shops that feature real barbers nearby.
He warned that “too much” businesses could reach places affected.
Last month, eight men refused to indict violence disorder after an incident outside a barber shop on Blackwood High Street in Care Philly in March.
The incident is said to have occurred at a new barber shop.
All eight men have pleaded not guilty to accusations of violent disorders, and are expected to be tried in March next year.
Please contact our news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.
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