Raids On Currency Exchange Shops

Currency exchange bureaus and other money service businesses suspected of laundering over £3 million of criminal profits have been raided by officers from the Met police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime Agency as their doors opened for business.

The operation is a new tactic by police to stop organised criminals laundering the money they make from crimes such as prostitution, drug trafficking and VAT fraud.

60 specialist police detectives and investigators from SOCA and HMRC raided ten premises, through which profits from crime are believed to have been laundered.

They also carried out search warrants at four residential premises.

Officers arrested two women and four men on suspicion of facilitating money laundering.

HMRC officers immediately suspended four operator licences for breaching money laundering regulations and closed four premises down.

Detectives also seized £180,000 found on the premises.