A nationwide investigation has begun, and the suspicious spread of Turkish-style barbershops across the UK has begun, and authorities suspect these companies will serve as a frontline for organized crime, including money laundering and illegal employment practices. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been at the forefront of the business coordinating dozens of attacks on facilities over the past month.
The UK's cash-heavy barber industry has long faced allegations that it is being abused for money laundering, with HM Treasury estimated that £100 billion per year being cleaned through UK businesses. Turkish barbershops, often congregate in urban areas, have been particularly notable due to their rapid expansion and opaque ownership structures.
Law enforcement agencies, including HMRC and home office immigration enforcement, took part in the crackdown, resulting in multiple arrests and substantial seizures of cash reserves. Intelligence suggests that many of these shops (often cash-only businesses) are used to clean up drug profits while hiring undocumented immigrants.
Retail analysts have been paying attention to an astounding 50% surge in barbershops in the UK since 2018, and now it's over 18,000, with over 750 new openings last year alone. While most Turkish-style barbers operate legally, investigators argue that there is a link between Kurdish and Albanian criminal networks, where a subset is historically linked to drug and human smuggling.
During the attack in northeastern England, tax inspectors reportedly tracked secret audits, number of chairs, and customer left and right traffic, comparing them to declared revenue. The contradiction suggested financial fraud.
The NCA focused on disrupting illegal cash flows, citing an increase in information linking cash-intensive businesses, particularly barbershops, to organized crime. The operation involves multiple police forces from England and Wales, reflecting concerns over increasingly sophisticated money laundering tactics.
meanwhile Not charged yet, The probe highlights the growing scrutiny of high alley businesses that could hide criminal enterprises behind everyday services. Authorities warn that further raids are imminent as financial forensics continues.