Tackling illegal shops on the High Street [VIDEO TO BE ADDED]

Bobby Dean explains what he is doing about law-breaking businesses.

Councils are getting more powers over new vape and gambling shops wanting to open. That’s welcome, but it isn’t enough to stop organised crime on our high streets.

Through my work on the Treasury Select Committee and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption, I have been looking at the money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working taking place on high streets across the country.

At least £1 billion is thought to be laundered through high street businesses every year, while billions more are lost to tax dodging 

One of the biggest barriers to tackling this kind of crime is coordinating all the different organisations responsible for investigating it and taking enforcement action. 

It requires input from the local authority, HMRC, National Crime Agency and local police. But information is split between different agencies, making it harder to identify illegal activity and shut it down.

I am currently attempting to convene these stakeholders locally with the hope of making progress on identifying and closing down any illegal activity on High Streets in Carshalton and Wallington.

This is why the new powers over vape shops won’t solve the problem. Organised crime is adaptable. Close off one route and criminals will quickly look for another. 

Until we have better national coordination between enforcement agencies, we will always be playing catch-up with the latest scheme. 

If you see a shop that looks like it is doing something dodgy like this, please report  the local police or the National Crime Agency here.

But I promise that I am going to carry on fighting criminal activity in our area.

– Bobby Dean