Police have revealed details of an operation which has seen a swoop on several shops suspected of being a front for crime in Gloucestershire – with several arrests for fraud and money laundering.

The operation has been part of a nationwide move to target some 265 business addresses, with American sweet shops, vaping outlets and barbershops being raided.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said dozens of officers from the county were joined by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Immigration, Trading Standards and HMRC. The work was also assisted by a passive drugs dog brought in from a neighbouring force.

Across the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said 35 arrests were made while 97 people suspected to be victims of modern slavery were placed under police protection and bank accounts containing more than £1m were frozen.

Warrants were carried out on two barbershops on Barton Street in Gloucester, with a man aged 40 and from Gloucester arrested on suspicion of fraud. He has since been released under investigation while enquiries continue. Further swoops have taken place in Tetbury, Stroud and Gloucester.

A total of 11 barber shops were visited in the county a single day by the various agencies as part of the operation, with one man arrested for immigration offences and Trading Standards officers seizing illegal cigarettes and vapes. A closure order was also placed on one shop for selling illegal cigarettes.

A 24-year-old man from Gloucester was also arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of Class A drug Methamphetamine. He was charged with theft and bailed to a Police Station for burglary and drugs offences.

A further two men aged 33 and 18, both from Gloucester, were arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A and Class B drugs, namely cocaine and cannabis. The 18-year-old was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cannabis and was remanded in custody, while the 33-year-old was released under investigation.

Inspector Ash Gardner, of Gloucester's Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Organised Crime Groups are known to use a variety of fronts to launder their money, including barbershops.

"We will not allow such businesses to operate in our communities and we will work together with partner agencies to tackle them head-on.

Det Sgt Adrian Bray, of SWROCU, said: "We know there are businesses on many high streets that are connected to serious and organised crime."

He added that many premises are a cover for illicit drug dealing, money laundering and illegal tobacco sales: "It's really important that the public report their suspicions about businesses who may be operating illegally in their area."

Legitimate barbershops are calling for a registration scheme to crackdown on disreputable operators.

Gareth Penn, CEO of the Hair and Barber Council, said: "This has a massive impact on legitimate businesses as they can't compete against those with few of the costs genuine barbers have."

Mr Penn told the BBC that the rise of illegal barbers has led to fungal infections, such as ringworm, from improperly sanitized equipment.