Several “Turkish” barbershops across the UK have been attacked by authorities who feared they could potentially wash drug money.
The National Criminal Agency (NCA), which leads the major investigation, has seized tens of thousands of pounds from shops in several towns and cities over the past month.
In addition to money laundering, some people are suspected of tax fraud and illegal immigration jobs.
The attack was carried out by the NCA with local police officers, immigration enforcement officers and HM revenue and customs inspectors.
In some shops, tax inspectors are reported to be aware of the number of chairs they are using and checking whether they are dealing with customers who have the profits declared by the owner.
One official who spoke to the Sunday Times said there were streets with several barber shops and declared a massive take, even if everything was empty.
More than 750 barber shops opened across the UK last year, according to Retail Analytics Company Green Street.
There are currently over 18,000 stores, 15% more than 2018.
The only shops targeted this month's business was primarily cash.
They are commonly known as Turkish barber shops, but some are run by Albanians and Kurdish people who have ties to crime gangs.
In addition to the raids, the NCA and its partners are also making “friendly” visits to get more information.
An NCA spokesperson said: “In recent years there has been an increase in intelligence that links barbershop use and other cash-intensive companies to money laundering and other criminality.
“To respond to this threat, the NCA coordinated the actions of multi-agency law enforcement agencies targeting barbershops when suspicious activity has been identified and there is link to organized crime.
“This involves numerous police forces across England and Wales, as well as other partners, including the HMRC and the Department of Interior's Immigration Enforcement.”
British barbers can register as only traders, not as business with company homes, and can put chairs to hairdressers.
Hewa Rehimpur, 31, a former London barber, was arrested in 2022 for a human trafficking crime.
He was a key figure in the pan-European smuggling ring that brought as many as 10,000 immigrants to the UK on a small boat on the channel.
He was handed over to Belgium and stood trial with other gang members, before he was jailed for 11 years.
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