Am I right to be suspicious!? Something not right going on

[coffeewithmilk]

I'm renting an apartment with my husband. Our sitting room window overlooks a tanning salon which is also an Internet cafe.
I have become almost obsessed with seeing who is going in and out - I feel something dodgey is going on in there! Constant older men with flashy cars parking outside, young lads in tracksuits going in and out - none of them coming out more tanned than when they went in.
It has been nice over lockdown because there hasn't been anyone around - but now it's open again and it is manic busy

Surely that many people aren't using tanning beds?!

I also noticed that after closing in the evenings, they sometimes leave some of their tanning beds running (I can see the lights through the window)

If it is the dealings of something not right, like drugs or sex work - should I tell someone about it?

My husband thinks I'm over reacting and thinks I should just turn a blind eye as we are only renting and won't be here for too much longer

What would you do?

Its not this one is it Op

That came across a little snippy, sorry wasn't my intention

There are a few naiive people on this thread. TerrapinStation is right, things like money laundering operations are all over the place, and often goes on under people's noses. If you have your suspicions you should report, OP. Someone else said don't bother, as in their town someone was openly dealing drugs and police were doing nothing about it. Naiive attitude - they will be well aware but having to build a solid case. Or possibly letting it go on while they try to catch the bigger fish in the chain above them. These things often take a number of years, with multiple agencies involved, often internationally. The criminals are often very clever. Your local drug dealer will be just part of the bigger picture.

If it is, you could be right as this is what is said about the street is is on.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton_Street

The street was known for prostitution in the 19th century. In the 1870s, 1,500 prostitutes were reputed to work in the street. although that was a very long time ago.

Im with you OP. Why is it only men?! And also... Internet cafe?! Do they still exist?!

Notify the appropriate people. If they get checked and it is just David Dickinson topping up his tan then no one got hurt.

[quote coffeewithmilk]@WorraLiberty I'm in Dublin, so it has been open since the 29th. There was occasionally the odd person coming and going during lockdown [/quote]
I don't think you are wrong OP and I would report it. There is a terrible issue in Dublin (and lots of other places I'm sure) with girls being trafficked for sex work. If there is nothing going on then there won't be an issue. Likelihood is the guards may already know about it.

@Jenasaurus nope that's not the one. I won't disclose which one it is as it's very obvious where I live if anyone knows the area

[quote coffeewithmilk]@Jenasaurus nope that's not the one. I won't disclose which one it is as it's very obvious where I live if anyone knows the area [/quote]
Fair point, its just what came up when I googled Brothels in Dublin and then realised there was a tanning salon/internet cafe in the same road.

I understand you wouldnt want to disclose it, so apologise

Um... You do know that 30 mins on a sun bed doesnt make you suddenly George Hamilton right? Tanning takes time and you dont go in white and come out the colour of wood varnish.

I think you need to stop the curtain twitching and find something to do.

You know the biggest thing that would make me suspicious the Internet Cafe.

Every single one I ever used or knew of has closed, smart phones, and mobile data plans killed them off as a thing of the past.

For gods sake, tanning places are notorious for being a front for drugs.

ring up the non urgent number of police & just say what you have said to us -prefix it by saying something like - look it may be nothing but it seems odd …

• young men...

male prostitution? (my street is dead boring. I was laughing - at distance - with next door neighbour that we are all doing neighbourhood watch & know when our neighbours get their supermarket delivery - did say it was boring!)

@TheLegendOfZelda
Reposting this as meant to do the @ before your name
Have you watched Talking Heads?
Do you mean the Imelda Staunton episode where she was criticising her neighbours for going out in the evening and leaving the child at home? (I've only seen that one and two others)

If you're concerned, call 111 (is that the non-emergency number?)

From what you've said, I'd imagine there's probably enough for them to at least send someone round, just to take a look.

@Whenwillthisbeover

Really?

I’ve a lot to learn.

Personally I'd report it to Crimestoppers- just the facts, no 'it could be'. If you've got any vehicle registration numbers that would be really useful.
Reporting what you have seen won't cause any harm.

It might be nothing, are the same people in and out regularly? Could be friends visiting or buying/selling drugs. Our local tanning shop is a brothel and it’s raided regularly, doesn’t stop them though as soon as the police turn their backs it’s open for business and they don’t even try to hide it

@coffeewithmilk this totally stinks to high heaven. I would report it to the non emergency number. Other posters are correct that tanning salons are often fronts for money laundering, sex trafficking, drug trafficking or a combination of all three since they usually go hand in hand. The fact that it's an "internet cafe" also rings alarm bells for me too. Cheap mobile phone plans have nearly killed off all internet cafes with the exception of certain neighbourhoods.

So report to the police anonymously, then get on with your life.

If you're not going to be there much longer then I'd just leave it.

Does the internet cafe thing mean that these men can access certain websites anon, with no hint of their home ISP address being traced?

Or would they have to show 'I.D' at the cafe to log on?

Sounds dodgy to me OP - very similar situation down the road from me when I was at uni. I’d see constant streams of men & occasionally a Rolls Royce would be parked outside for literally moments where a very well dressed chap would run in and then back out with a package (presumably cash); a few months later the place was raided and a load of sex trafficked young females were found to be kept prisoner inside.

And as an aside: Older men in flashy cars don’t go to pick up their own drugs is simply not true nor does it bear scrutiny as an even vaguely sweeping statement. However I do think it could well be a brothel.

Exactly what @CurlyhairedAssassin said.

I have my reasons for saying this. (Legal)