Seven people have been arrested after police carried out 47 searches targeting suspected money laundering and criminal networks operating on high streets across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. Officers visited premises including barbershops, vape shops, mini markets and nail salons during the month-long operation. Police said they seized £1,500 in cash. Trading Standards officers confiscated about £25,000 worth of illicit goods and a further £5,000 of counterfeit products. Police also seized a quantity of Class B drugs and two imitation firearms. The enforcement involved multiple agencies, including Immigration Enforcement, Trading Standards, HM Revenue and Customs, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. Detective Sergeant Rachel O’Brien from West Mercia Police’s Economic Crime Team said officers worked collaboratively to target criminal networks, removing illicit goods, seizing cash linked to crime and arresting those suspected of enabling the activity. West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said the overwhelming majority of shops in the region are legitimate, warning premises used to facilitate criminal activity would face robust enforcement. Police urged anyone with information about illegal activity to contact them. The operation’s results cover the three counties, with no breakdown provided by area for searches, arrests or seizures. The case is under investigation following the arrests and seizures.