News · 19 May 2026
£1bn laundered yearly: High street shops face new unit, raids.
Unsplash / Bruno Martins
High street shops used by criminal gangs for money laundering, estimated at £1bn yearly, will face raids and closures. The government has announced a new organised crime unit, with funding for the initiative, including a £30m pot for some aspects, coming from a previous budget. An operational unit of the National Crime Agency, established with £20 million, is designated to manage investigations and bring in new officers, potentially 75, for various police forces, such as Kent and Essex.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs