New police unit to tackle gang-related retail crime

A major new police force is launching a nationwide crackdown on "dodgy shops" on the high street in an effort to tackle criminal networks operating on Britain’s high streets.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that at least £1 billion of criminal cash is laundered through high street stores in the UK each year through businesses connected to illegal activities, including the sale of fake goods, tax evasion, drug supply and illegal working.

The new police force, called the High Street Organised Crime Unit, has been established to bring together government departments, policing partners and Trading Standards, and will operate out of the NCA.

The proposals for the new unit, which will be overseen by the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, were first outlined in the 2025 Autumn Budget. It is expected to make hundreds of arrests and seize millions in cash.

It forms part of a larger £30 million crackdown on illegal activities at "dodgy" high street premises, with thousands of "rogue" barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops linked to organised crime facing raids, closures and cash seizures.

The crackdown also includes the recruitment of 75 new police officers across hotspot regions, in an effort to increase the number of dedicated officers tackling organised crime on the ground and build intelligence at a national level.

Trading Standards will also be backed with £6 million in new funding to bolster the response to sham businesses in at-risk local authorities.

The funding will also be used to train new officers to identify suspicious businesses, strengthen business compliance and boost enforcement.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, commented: "Criminal gangs have exploited our high streets to launder their dirty money and undercut honest businesses. We are hitting back with a nationwide crackdown to shut these fronts down, seize dirty cash, drive organised crime off our high streets and put bosses behind bars."

Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, said: "The new High Street Organised Crime Unit will be welcome news for people across the country. Illegitimate businesses and retail theft are major issues and too often linked to criminal gang activity. Stolen goods are commonly funnelled through illicit supply chains and resold through unscrupulous businesses, helping fund further criminality.

"This harms businesses, puts colleagues at risk, and pushes up prices for honest shoppers. Tackling it requires prioritisation from police and government, and co-ordination and intelligence sharing between retailers, law enforcement, and local partners. We look forward to working together to deliver real progress."

The announcement follows an 18-month-long effort by the NCA and police partners, called Operation Machinize, to target economic crime on UK high streets.

Bringing together policing, HMRC, Immigration Enforcement, Trading Standards and other partners in a co-ordinated approach, the latest Operation Machinize in November saw 2,734 premises visited, 950 people arrested and over £10 million worth of criminal assets seized.