New crime force announced to tackle high-street crime

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has announced a new law enforcement response to tackle organised crime fronted by high-street stores.

It is estimated by the NCA that at least £1bn is laundered through high street stores in the UK each year, with stores selling illegal cigarettes and illegal vapes at the forefront.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) suggested that previous cuts to funding have allowed organised crime to establish itself in high streets, and that the length of closure orders to shut criminal businesses down needs to be reevaluated.

The government plans to:

• Increase raids, closures, and cash seizures over the next three years;

• Allocate £20m of funding to the NCA and recruit 75 new police officers in three hotspot regions – in the Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and Essex and Kent forces;

• Allocate £6m of funding to trading standards, and;

• Split £3.7m of funding between immigration enforcement, HMRC and the running of the unit.