Council shuts down numerous criminal businesses for child exploitation & money laundering

Photo: Greater Manchester Police

Some premises were selling illegal tobacco and vapes

A sweeping crackdown on organised crime has led to the closure of more than a dozen premises across the borough, exposing a web of illicit activities including child sexual exploitation and money laundering.

The criminal businesses, some of which were raking in over £3,000 daily through illegal tobacco and vape sales, have been directly linked to severe criminal operations. 

Beyond the immediate financial crimes, these premises have been tied to the exploitation of minors and even manslaughter, painting a grim picture of the underlying criminal networks.

The borough's partnership enforcement team (PET), composed of council and police officers, has played a crucial role in these closures. By working intensively with landlords, they have managed to shut down 18 premises without resorting to lengthy and costly court procedures. This strategy has proven effective, with 12 premises being closed in the past year alone.

Often, landlords are unaware of the nefarious activities taking place on their properties. However, with the presentation of compelling evidence from PET, many have cooperated to facilitate these closures, reflecting a community-wide effort to stamp out such heinous crimes.

This decisive action by the council and its partners marks a significant blow against organised crime in the borough, highlighting the disturbing reality of child exploitation and money laundering that lurked behind seemingly ordinary businesses.

These businesses are also linked to illegal immigration and modern day slavery, often bringing new, undocumented arrivals into the illicit trade in exchange for accommodation and cash. The problems are not unique to Rochdale, with town centres up and down the country tackling the same issues.

The partnership enforcement (PET) team, whose work was recently showcased in the hard hitting BBC documentary, The Detectives, is made up of officers from the council’s enforcement teams, who work with the police and other key agencies to tackle criminality across the borough.

Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The misery that these criminals inflict on our communities cannot be underestimated. The sale of cheap cigarettes might seem harmless, but for the people behind this trade, is just a small part of a much bigger empire, which can involve drug dealing, CSE and even manslaughter.

“We want to target these big fish, and these closures will severely disrupt their business operation, making the streets that bit safer for everyone.

“This is the result of years of hard work by the team, building up relationships and gathering intelligence so they can understand how these criminals operate and how we can hurt them and I’m really proud of the work that they do.”

Anyone who has concerns about illicit tobacco and illegal vapes, can contact: trading.standards@rochdale.gov.uk