To think that (some) vaping shops and barbers are fronts ....

[crockofshite]

..... for dodgy dealings? There are so many of these shops in every high street, how can there be enough customers to support them?

Apparently fish and chip shops are a common front for cannabis farms - they cover up the smell and nobody questions the high energy usage by the premises. The one near us was raided by the police, but had been operating there for 3 years with barely a customer.

Yes, lots of little unwelcoming cafes popping up, nobody in them except small groups of under employed men. Fake greenery on the wall seems to be a theme.

They are totally different and are well used. I live in an area with a few cafes like this and people talk about them, but there are always different men in spending money. What people mean is cafes set up for people that are not like us. That does not make them money laundering fronts.

I agree about dessert places. There are a number in town, about two that are busy a lot of the time, and some that are always deserted and can not make enough money to even pay their rent.

@Badbadbunny yeah, thank you. I think you're right. So they can allege they sold way more stuff than they actually did as it's virtually worthless?

@bookmarket supermarkets always open next to eachother. My local Tesco and Waitrose are next door, so is the Aldi and M&S and that's just off the top of my head in a one mile area.

A terraced house near my work is used to supply drugs. Everyman and his dog knows, (the boarded up windows, the exchanges through the letterbox, bullet holes on the front masonry etc). The police have done fuck all about it. It’s been carrying on for at least 2 years now seemingly unrestricted.

They don't have actually run a profitable business. It's a front, for show and they're so safe from any authority that they don't even need to pretend to work.

@crockofshite yes! I often see a line worker in a cake shop or barbers literally just sitting every single time I go by. May have some customers but no way are they breaking even legally.

The police/ council/ local mp know perfectly well what is going on. I had a rant to my mp recently about it. The thing is these people are linked to knife and gun crime, they do murder people, and run protection rackets. Modern slavery and trafficking is going on under our noses but it isn't fashionable to make a fuss about so is ignored. There are 3 restaurants near me that are "refurbished" every 6 months. Still got the same plastic foliage on the walls, same furniture, still no kitchen. Just a different sign outside. One of them has no windows at all. It is completely out of control. There are two nailbars and a coffee shop owned by the same people. I won't set foot in any of the premises, but it doesn't matter. They don't need customers at all.

Yet at the same time, you sometimes have HMRC "task force" staff sat outside legitimate businesses like chip shops, literally counting customers, and then at a future date, comparing the number of customers with the number of sales put through the till, timings, etc.

One HMRC inspector was sat day after day in his local pub making tallies of people using the gaming machines, vending machines and pool/snooker tables. Then, months later, compared his tallies against the recorded takings for that time period.

These are two entirely "random" tax investigations that my honest clients have suffered. In both cases, the HMRC inspector found no discrepancies and after causing a lot of wasted time, hassle and money, the enquiries were closed with no further action.

It's funny how they can find the time and resources sometimes but not others, isn't it?? I think the authorities are either scared of tackling the real criminals or they're "too close" to them in some way. Meanwhile generally innocent law abiding people get fined for parking in the wrong place!

The law really is an ass these days.

Our shop has been very quiet this week. I hope nobody thinks we are a front for something dodgy!😂

BBC News - West Mercia Police seize £500k in money laundering barbershop raids - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kv0gvjnneo

Yes, those cat cafes are clearly fronts for nefarious activity too

How do they pay rent if they're not running a profitable business?

What's a cat cafe?

It's the American Candy stores, Some are genuine, some are money laundering. How do you if visiting a place which is the real deal?

Another dodgy sign with money laundering shops. They sell things which are complete different. American candy and handbags.

Probably because they have a few ‘real’ customers, and because the high streets would look worse if the places were empty and boarded up. Then we’d all realise how much the country had declined / was declining and organise mass protesting. The whole time there’s the vague appearance that it’s not a complete shithole, the easier we can be convinced things will improve and be placated!

I very much doubt there’s any councillors or law enforcement officers being bribed to turn a blind eye; I’m sure there aren’t any property owners prepared to forgo rent, enjoying instead the bounty money laundering brings, and very much doubt this activity goes higher and deeper into the heart of UK or foreign government and/or corporations than we mere mortals could ever imagine. And I definitely don’t think it funds human trafficking and/or terrorism.

A cafe where cats rule the roost. Literally, a cafe with cats roaming/lying around

I’d be very cautious about those unless it’s clear that the cats’ wellbeing takes priority and that they’ve only got cats / kittens who are comfortable in that setting.

I know some cats who would think it was fun but my girl would absolutely hate being in a room with other cats.

Police are overwhelmed with the number of parents discussing school disrespectfully on their whatsapp groups.

Huh??

There is a chicken shop that is never open in a really nice location near me that looks very dusty. I just assume money laundering. Watched too much Ozark!

These barbershops are often not following proper infection control measures either - see recent news stories regarding an increase in skin infections suspected to be being transmitted through poor hygiene practice.

I just assume that most retail units are a front for money laundering 😄😄

In 2025, the rents are so expensive, it makes sense that only criminals could afford to pay them

For those asking why the police turn a blind eye, I think in many cases it's kind of a case of 'better the devil you know' so long as the shops basically keep their heads down and don't move into violent crime/gang wars etc. In my city there are a couple of drug operations (one apparently focuses on coke, the other generally on hash/ketamine/dodgy prescription drugs. They deliver and both have a fleet of very obvious drivers (the coke sellers all have matching extremely noticeable white Audis...) and drive around the dodgier areas, pull up with lights/hazards on, someone runs out from a nearby house with cash in hand and does a quick swap for whatever they're buying then off they drive to the next customer.

It's so incredibly obvious and well known and has been for many many years, there is just no chance the police aren't fully aware. I can only imagine that in the police's minds, if they lock up all these gang members it'll leave a gap in the market that may be filled with far worse criminals and/or gang fighting to take over. As it is they don't really cause any harm (other than the obvious negatives associated with drugs which would still be present with whoever did take over) or drama.

And yeah there are lots of 'front' businesses. I work away from home on weekdays and every second shop in the large fairly downmarket town on the outskirts of London that I stay in is a kebab shop/cheap takeaway. I very rarely see anyone actually ordering food in any of these places and certainly not enough to pay the rent! I actually went in to a couple for chicken wraps when I first started working here and they were awful - my colleagues laughed so hard when I grumbled about the food quality 😅. I think pretty much every family in the town would need to be going for takeaways multiple times a week for these to be genuine profitable business ventures!