Police in Lowestoft, Suffolk, uncovered sophisticated hidden compartments in shops suspected of selling illicit goods during a multi-agency operation. The raids, part of the National Crime Agency’s UK-wide Operation Machinize, highlight how criminal activity can be concealed within apparently ordinary high-street businesses, undermining legitimate competitors and potentially involving exploitation and money laundering.

Officers found counterfeit and illegal tobacco worth about £1,000 inside a ceiling compartment behind a concealed shelving door, while other hides were located behind an electric radiator and beneath a shop floor. Around ten premises were targeted, and two people were arrested at a brothel on modern slavery and immigration offences; the Government also plans to recruit 500 officers through a £500 million investment to tackle money laundering, while extending potential shop closures from six months to a year.