SEROCU Supports Multi-Agency Action Against High Street Criminality

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) has helped deliver significant results as part of Operation Machinize, a National Crime Agency-led initiative targeting illicit finance, money laundering and wider criminality linked to high street businesses. Throughout October, SEROCU supported police forces and partner agencies across the South East with intelligence, coordination and disruption activity, helping to identify criminal networks, target enforcement action and safeguard vulnerable people.

The operation brought together a range of agencies, including HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Trading Standards, Immigration Enforcement, Border Force, local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services, combining intelligence, expertise and enforcement powers to identify and disrupt criminality hidden behind seemingly legitimate businesses.

As part of the operation:

• More than 300 businesses were assessed and deconflicted
• 107 premises were visited
• 25 arrests were made for offences including money laundering, immigration offences, customs and excise offences, drug offences, false document offences and rape
• £61,665 in cash was seized
• 217,420 illicit cigarettes were recovered
• 63.5kg of illicit tobacco and shisha products was seized
• 25 disruptions were submitted by SEROCU's Regional Disruption Team

While the operational activity was carried out by forces and partners across the region, SEROCU played a key role in supporting and coordinating the response. Intelligence teams worked with force areas to identify links to organised crime, develop the regional intelligence picture and help target activity where it would have the greatest impact.

SEROCU's Regional Disruption Team (RDT) also worked closely with forces and partner agencies to identify disruption opportunities, coordinate activity and develop enforcement options. The team's work resulted in 25 disruptions being submitted and helped support the wider outcomes achieved during the operation, including arrests, seizures and the development of intelligence that will continue to inform investigations across the South East.

The operation also helped identify vulnerable people living or working in exploitative conditions, enabling safeguarding measures and support to be put in place.

Michelle Easton, SEROCU's Regional GAIN Coordinator and South East lead for Operation Machinize, said: "Operation Machinize demonstrates the value of partnership working in tackling organised crime. Criminals often seek to exploit legitimate businesses to conceal illegal activity, and it is only by bringing together the expertise, intelligence and powers of multiple agencies that we can effectively identify and disrupt that offending.

The results achieved throughout the South East reflect the strength of partnership working and the commitment of everyone involved. By combining local operational knowledge with the intelligence, analytical and disruption capabilities available through SEROCU, we have been able to support forces and partners in identifying criminality, safeguarding vulnerable people and disrupting organised crime."