Hundreds of barbershops and other cash-heavy businesses are targeting three-week money laundering blitz.
Police went to 265 facilities, including ark shops, nail bars, American themed sweet shops and car washes across the UK.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said 35 arrests have been made, 97 suspected of being victims of modern slavery have been placed under police custody, and bank accounts, including over £1 million, have been frozen.
Over £40,000 cash in cash, roughly 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of cigarettes and more than 8,000 illegal vapes were seized during the operation.
Officers also discovered two cannabis farms containing a total of 150 plants, but 10 shops have been closed.
The NCA estimates that £12 billion in crime cash is generated in the UK every year. There are companies that have come up with barbershops, vape shops, nail bars, sweet American themed shops, and car washes that are often used by criminals.
A police officer at Tameside's shop. Photo: GMP/PA
Rachel Herbert, deputy director of the NCA's National Economic Crime Centre, said:
“We have seen links between drug trafficking and distribution, organized immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, firearms, illegal cigarette and steam sales.
“We know that cash-intensive companies are being used as fronts for money laundering and as fronts for promoting the most harmful and best impacts in the UK.”
Money laundering crackdown. Photo: NCA
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the operation “emphasizes the scale and complexity of the crimes our towns and cities face.”
“High Street Crime is determined to undermine our security, our borders and our community's trust and take the critical action necessary to bring those responsible to justice,” he said.