Turkish barber shops crackdown: Police raid dozens of businesses run as a front for money laundering

33 comments

1. If only they could get rid of those unsightly American candy shops and the high streets with 12 chicken shops.

2. The general public know they’re a front

   The police know they’re a front

   Why are they allowed to open in the first place? I would say maybe 1/10 might be a legit business? Please get the candy shops and the vape shops next.

3. So you’re telling me that the some of the only surviving parts of most high streets are money laundering fronts?

   _im_shocked_shocked.gif_

4. God damnit labour.

   Won’t you leave anything standing?

   All these years I ‘ve been getting my £5 haircut and £3.99 chicken burger before hitting the American candy shop for some Reece’s on the way to get my nails done with no problems.

   The UK has truly fallen 🙁

5. So you’re telling me that the some of the only surviving parts of most high streets are money laundering fronts?

   _im_shocked_shocked.gif_

6. Let’s call these ‘Turkish style barber shops’ as most of them are not owned by Turkish people. I understand it is easy to bash the Turks compared to other ethnicities (Turkish barber, Turkey teeth, Mongol etc.) but let’s not be divisive.

7. What, you’re telling me that the people on Reddit who say that these actually aren’t involved in illegal activities and that anyone who says that is racist are actually wrong? :0

   At least something is finally being done. Now please do car washes, nail bars, European supermarkets, and vape shops.

8. Another thing the tories chose not to do because ultimately it doesn’t stop them funnelling public money to their pals

9. Finally! 

   Vape shops next. I never see people inside yet they stay open. 

10. Dozens? Presumably this was only a single high street

11. Shock horror. Another no news, news. What about all the cash only chinease takeaways too….?

12. Are the police reading Reddit now? I swear I saw 100 posts about this over the last week

13. vape shops next please, we don’t need 9 on the same row that manage to stay open despite never having customers

14. Real shame but the High st in Oxford from Gloucester St bus station onwards is a derelict shithole. 2 big dessert shops in Headington that are always empty and cash only Turkish barber shops. The whole city is a mess.

15. But I was told by this sub these barbers and vape shops aren’t fronts for anything nefarious?

    Strange.

16. Well my local Turkish barbers must have missed the memo as they are always full, sometimes with a queue.
    As for the local chicken shop that I would barely be able to afford the electricity bill, let alone rent or wages, are another story.

17. With extortionate rates only criminal enterprises are able to operate. They pay tax and council turns a blind eye.

18. Huhhhhh? This was supposed to be a conspiracy and it was racist to claim otherwise. We did it Reddit

19. Our small high street of 16 shops has 5 of these. With two also boarded up, that means nearly half the high street is Turkish barbers that don’t appear to have any customers. We don’t even have that much of a Turkish community around here

20. This can’t be right. Redditors were saying they were legit.

21. Town near me has a Turkish barber that offers ladies hair removal sounds a bit weird idk if anyone else has seen one offering that

22. Glad they are cracking down but feel bad for the blokes half way through a hair cut when the raids happened

23. There’s a row of shops near me with ten shops and four of them are Turkish barbers and they are all always empty but never close down.

24. They need to visit every town and city in the country

25. I always love it when you see the luxury cars that are worth more than the businesses they are parked outside of. Must sell a lot of vape juice or takeaways to afford that.

26. You guys hate Turks now as well? Damn, I thought the kebab would protect them tctctct

27. I do think people are confusing the quantity of vape and barber shops on a high street, that they both must be tarnished with the illicit activity brush.

    Barbers being a strictly cash business, is a massive red flag for a money laundering operation.

    Vape shops, whilst annoyingly duplicated in large numbers across many a high street, don’t quite fall into the same category.

    The markup on vaping products is huge. It’s an easy business (for now) to make a quick buck, whilst “helping” those suppress their cigarette smoking needs. It’s an easy sell.

    But just because they are as equal as an eyesore to see as a barber shop, sadly doesn’t make them illicit. I’ve yet to be in one that doesn’t take card payments. Then again, there are a few that sell weed bags and all non-illegal drug paraphernalia. Not a great look, admittedly. But I’d be shocked if vape shops were an obvious money launderer, as barber shops are.

28. I live in a village where there’s around 5000 residents.
    There’s several beauticians, barbers, take aways etc to cover the area. Most are clearly a front as they are hardly ever busy. Even during peak days. There’s some who have been here for decades and are legit but the others aren’t.

    Issue is how can the police prove it? They don’t have the man power or time to do it. So while they aren’t hurting anyone directly, the police let it slide. That’s how I see it.

29. We got some restaurants over here….they go broke, close, and another restaurant pops up. Almost the same menu. How can this be so easy?

30. They’ll need to hit a few more than 12… to dent the problem.

31. My local barber must be money laundering, because no one in that shop can cut hair.

32. In my very small highland village there are 3. One of them gives you ‘tokens’ to go upstairs… it’s just a brothel in disguise. The high street is constantly a huge talking point within the community with large groups of men hanging around outside , women especially have been scared to walk past.

33. The police and government believe trafficking and money laundering is now rife and many stores could be a front, but taking action requires proving it, which isn’t easy. They could also be a front for many other activities.

    There was a boom in barber shops outside of the biggest cities around the entire UK, largely noticed after 2020. They obviously stand out most of all in the smallest of towns, where everyone.. and I mean everyone.. knows each other.

    When four or more within one small road’s distance move in at once, with one doing ok and the rest empty with the owners claiming to all know one another, often outside on phones and refusing custom, this will raise an eyebrow.

    The media show that some barbers can become involved in turf wars, perhaps as[ prime competitors](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14408599/Short-smack-sides-Massive-street-fight-triggered-turf-war-rival-barber-shops-seven-men-appear-court.html), then [charged](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgnw01kd90o). This no doubt raises suspicion as to how much is truly being earned, and from where.

    You can of course look up any company status via UK Gov Companies House. Aside from warnings of ‘compulsory strike-off action’ for not showing accounts, I have noticed that one that was always empty with one staff member slash director, was also the sole director of 9 other stores registered and regarded as active in various towns across the UK. Perhaps spreading out higher earnings across multiple stores that exist only on paper, might lessen suspicion from authorities.

    **For the more optimistic, there will no doubt be legit businesses operating out there, who will receive much of the flack for those truly involved in trafficking, laundering and so on.**

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