Tackling Organised Crime on our High Streets

Walk down any high street in County Durham and Darlington and you will see proud local businesses operating at the heart of their local communities.

But increasingly, there is another reality, one that many people do not see, but I have witnessed first-hand when I accompanied regional crime and trading standard officers, some of these shops are a cover for serious and organised crime.

A recent operation in Darlington resulted in hundreds of illegal vapes and illicit cigarettes being seized from mini markets. These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a much bigger picture, where criminal gangs are operating on high streets up and down the country, exploiting loopholes, undercutting honest traders, and putting many lives at risk.

This is not just about counterfeit goods. It is about dangerous, unregulated products being sold to our children. It is about modern slavery, vulnerable people forced to work behind the scenes, unseen, unheard and often unpaid. It is about money laundering, drugs, and organised criminal networks using so-called “legitimate” businesses as a front.

Every illegal vape sold, every packet of illicit tobacco, every exploited worker hidden from view carries a human cost. These businesses are damaging our economy, eroding trust and confidence, and undermining the safety and security of our neighbourhoods.

That is why this issue sits firmly within my Police, Crime and Justice Plan, under our commitments to Safer Neighbourhoods, Safer Business, and Safer People and Safer Places. Because safe communities are not just about visible policing. They are about tackling the hidden harms that sit beneath the surface.

We know what works. Evidence led, data driven, problem solving, partnership approaches between police, Trading Standards, HMRC and others. Trading Standards officers play a critical role in uncovering illicit supply chains, seizing illegal goods, and building the intelligence needed to dismantle organised crime groups and bring those responsible to justice.

The Government has recognised thousands of these businesses are linked to criminality and hundreds more to serious organised crime. To combat this concerning trend, they have invested £45M to create the High Streets Illegality Taskforce, but funding alone will not solve this issue. We need sustained investment, stronger powers, and better intelligence sharing to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated networks.

And we need you with us. If something does not feel right, a shop with no genuine customers, prices that seem too good to be true, staff who appear fearful or controlled, trust your instincts and report it. What can seem to you an insignificant piece of information could be the missing piece in the jigsaw our officers are looking for.

As your Police and Crime Commissioner, I will continue to push for action locally and nationally. We cannot allow criminal networks to normalise illegal trade or exploit our communities. Our high streets should be places of pride, safety, and opportunity. Not a cover for crime and disorder. It is time we tackled serious and organised crime on our high streets head on to help us deliver safer, stronger, and more resilient high streets!