Thu, 27 Nov 2025

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 Three arrests after BBC investigation into criminal network on High Street

Two Iranian men and a British man are held after raids in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

* Three men, including two Iranian nationals and a naturalised British citizen, have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry and working in the UK.
* The arrests followed a BBC News investigation into organised crime gangs operating on High Streets across the country.
* Over 100 mini-marts, car washes, and barber shops were found to be linked to a crime network in the investigation, which also uncovered evidence of counterfeit cigarettes being sold in some of these businesses.
* An asylum seeker was exposed trying to sell a mini-mart for £18,000 in cash, while another individual said they could wipe fines worth up to £60,000 related to illegal working.
* The Home Office has acknowledged that the loose regulation of Britain's labour market is acting as a pull factor for those entering the UK illegally.
* The government has announced additional enforcement activity on High Streets, including funding for new Trading Standards officers and deploying criminal investigators to target illicit tobacco and vaping products.
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