Eighteen arrests were made and 33 businesses visited in Wiltshire during a national operation targeting organised immigration crime.
Wiltshire Police worked alongside the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Immigration Enforcement, Trading Standards and HMRC during the operation, which ran from 21st September to 5th October.
Officers visited businesses including car washes, restaurants, vape shops, convenience stores and nail salons, with the aim of disrupting criminal networks, identifying offenders and safeguarding vulnerable people.
During the operation, officers engaged with 262 people, submitted 62 intelligence reports and seized 1kg of cannabis, 75g of cocaine, 10,000 cigarettes and £46,605 in cash.
Roadside Checks Across Wiltshire
Roads policing officers also carried out targeted activity on routes including the M4 and A419, working with partner agencies to identify immigration offences, unsafe vehicles and fraudulent documents.
The roadside operation resulted in 13 arrests for immigration offences, 128 vehicle stops, 22 Traffic Offence Reports and 41 Fixed Penalty Notices.
Officers also used motion detection equipment designed to help identify people being transported unlawfully inside vehicles.
Inspector Neil Duffin, of Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said the force was committed to disrupting human trafficking and safeguarding vulnerable people.
He said the technology could help officers identify hidden occupants inside vehicles by detecting sounds or vibrations.
National Operation
The Wiltshire activity formed part of Operation Lockstream, a nationwide operation involving police forces and Immigration Enforcement.
Nationally, 452 arrests were made, 66% of which related to immigration offences. Officers stopped more than 6,000 vehicles, engaged with more than 11,000 people and issued more than 900 fines totalling more than £141,000.
Seizures included 491 vehicles, more than 17,000 packs of cigarettes, 40kg of cannabis, 22 weapons, 57 mobile phones and more than £600,000 in cash.
Detective Chief Inspector Megan Elkins said organised immigration crime could be linked to other offences, including drug trafficking, county lines drug dealing, money laundering and fraud.
She said criminal networks could exploit vulnerable people and encouraged anyone with concerns about suspicious activity or someone’s welfare to report it.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson also visited officers during the operation. He said the results demonstrated the value of agencies working together to disrupt criminal activity and protect people at risk of exploitation.
Anyone with concerns can contact Wiltshire Police online or call 101. In an emergency, call 999. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.