What's really under the counter at the vape shop: The elaborate hidden chambers dodgy shop owners use to stash illicit goods
UK police raid shops in Lowestoft, uncovering elaborate hidden compartments used to stash illegal tobacco and goods.Summary
In a UK-wide crackdown on high street crime called Operation Machinize, led by the National Crime Agency, police and other agencies raided around ten shops in Lowestoft, Suffolk, targeting convenience stores, nail salons, barbers, and massage parlours suspected of criminal links. They discovered sophisticated hidden compartments, known as 'hides,' used to stash illegal goods and cash. These hides were secured with electro-magnetic locks and remote controls. In a vape shop, a fake shelving unit led to a back room where a sniffer dog detected a scent, leading officers to remove a wall panel and find shelves that slid up into the ceiling, containing £1,000 worth of illegal tobacco. Another hide was found behind an electric radiator, and a third under the shop floor. A brothel was also raided, resulting in two arrests for modern slavery and immigration offences. Security minister Dan Jarvis observed the raids. The government has announced 500 new officers to combat money laundering and is doubling the maximum closure period for dodgy shops from six months to a year. Police estimate individual shops can make £3,000 a week from illegal tobacco, funding criminal gangs. Officials emphasized the link between such shops and organized immigration crime, with exploited workers.
(Source：Mail Online)
