Shocking Britain

[ShockingBritain]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxplq92rx1o

The crime wave from overseas gang led, drug dealing, money laundering, fake cigarettes, etc dominating our High Streets.

Oh dear.

Perhaps you don't realise they sell vapes to children, some of which are laced with spice? Children need protecting (this is a parenting site). It is also criminal.

Anything to say about the vile threats to the trading standards officers who are merely doing their job?

This criminality has been allowed to grow and spread across the country. They need tackling.

These things are only prevalent in certain areas. Thankfully I don't live in one of them but I'm sure it will happen everywhere eventually in the UK. Look how much it has changed in the last 30 years.

I'm not a journalist. I'm a mother in a town where lots of teenagers hang out around the vape shop. If teens are going to vape then at least legal, 'safer' ones, not illegal, laced with what knows and funding drugs and used to money launder.

I agree with a pp that moving to a cashless society could prevent this. AI under the supervision of HMRC could make quick work of analysing the bank accounts of all those involved - customers included, as buying untaxed tobacco is technically tax evasion.

We all know what's caused this.

Sorry my posting isn't up to your standards. I'm more worried about teens in my area getting involved in illegal activity and hanging around these vapes shops than whether someone on MN likes my writing skills.

Real life is more important and enough to think about. Strange really, I thought most parents would be aware of the dangers out there, certainly at our secondary school their are a number of parents who know what goes on at these vapes shops. Fine you don't have a problem with them.

Not surprised, people have been selling dodgy goods, drugs and money laundering for decades and decades, criminals will always find away. It’s not exclusive to “foreigners”

I do feel sorry for legitimate shops and barbers who may lose business as people may avoid them.

Nail bars everywhere, cash only. I don’t like having my nails “done” but look around you how many people do, knowing full well that’s what’s happening and what their cash is supporting.

I understand that some nail bars are linked to people traficking as well as money laundering.

Most Turkish barbers round our way (and there's a LOT) are NOT Turkish. People just don't question it cause they're brown!

We also have the strange phenomenon of refurbing restaurants / takeaways, never opening them then refurbishing them to open them as something else. I’ve heard it’s a tax dodge but I can’t see the logic.

Any cash only businesses have to be queried. I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole due to my work. It would be totally unethical.

It doesn’t take this much effort. It takes a police officer and an HMRC inspector to sit outside our local barbers for 4 hours. Work out there is not a single customer, six staff and a declared turnover of x

Its basic common sense that this country has lost.

Sorry, but, no way. Unless it's a trusted, well known retailer I always pay cash. For precisely the reasons outlined in the subject of the thread, you can't trust shops you don't know, and no way am I giving them my card details to make hay with.

Completely unsurprised sadly.

We have blatant money laundering shops in our large town, I've reported them to crimestoppers but I'm sure they're overwhelmed.

We have fake magical no customer houseware shops, cheap clothes shops, ice cream shops, fucking day glo mini marts all under our noses. Poor trading standards have no chance to compete with them.

Probably.

It is far more than needing a cashless society that would impact badly on some.

It is an intolerance of crime. And a mindset that doesn’t want to have drugs and illegal items sold in shops. A society where those in charge at local Council level, and at Westminster do something. Take action to remove/curtail. To send a strong message that we do not and will not tolerate it.

A society that recognises there will be those who will, if allowed take advantage if given the chance.

Presently our society is tolerant. It doesn’t ask too many questions. It turns a blind eye. All too much like hard work. The prisons are full etc. It is an appalling approach to take.

Nige will fix it. He's got all the answers.

What sort of dodgy shops do you use? You don’t have to them your bank details these days. Open banking means the retailer need never know their customers bank details.

I go to a local baker (cards only) I scan my phone when I pay, the money is taken from my account. The transactions are automatically added to the company’s accounts, the VAT is automatically accounted for. The retailer has no cash to lug around, no need to check staff members aren’t stealing, and they press one button at quarter end and a VAT return is filed. Press shouted at the end of the year and their tax return is filed. It’s a win for me as I don’t have to carry cash, it’s a win for the retailer as their accounting is simple and they don’t have to handle cash and it’s a win for the taxpayer as fraud / mistakes is hugely reduced.

If we get rid of all of the barbers, vape shops, nail bars and dodgy takeaways half of our high street shops disappear overnight where I live. This can only be a good thing.

Open banking is a fraudster's paradise.

Cash is the only reliable way to protect your personal data from abuse.

People will realise this once they have completed their inevitable sleepwalk into a cashless society, by which time it will be too late, but hopefully I will be dead by then.

Since a lot on that list are fronts for money laundering, illegal tobacco and dodgy vapes then it would be a good thing.

It's more that policing is bizarrely misdirected, I think. A friend's son was recently arrested at his home by six officers with an armoured van (he has zero history with the police to justify this ridiculous response). After most of the day down the custody suite, "No charges, no case to answer"; it related to his ex partner making bizarre allegations in order to revoke the court order for shared custody. The officer sent in to interview him was utterly bemused and knew nothing of the case other than the bit of paper she'd been given.

I use a Turk barber sameone for years since the proliferation of a lot more I've noticed quite a few with damaged windows etc could possibly be turf war.
Aye it needs cleaning up but Nigel &Co ain't the answer.

I asked a friend who works for the police why these places aren't dealt with and how they are allowed to continue. She said that these places are run by large gangs who have much, much more money, resources and people than the police have. She said the police simply can't keep up with them, they are 20 steps ahead of the police on everything.