Arrests made and goods seized in police raids

Sniffer dogs were used in the operation

Homes and businesses across Sussex have been raided as part of a major police operation to tackle illegal goods, money laundering and exploitation linked to cash-intensive businesses.

Eighteen arrests were made during the month-long operation codenamed Operation Machinize.

Throughout October, Sussex Police worked alongside Trading Standards and the Home Office's Immigration Enforcement, targeting 76 addresses across the county.

More than £30,000 in cash was seized, as well as tens of thousands of cigarettes and multiple kilos of tobacco.

Premises targeted in the operation, coordinated by the National Crime Agency, included car washes, barbers shops, nail bars and convenience stores.

Test purchases were also made to check for sales of age-restricted goods, such as cigarettes and tobacco.

Police seized more than £30,000 in cash during the raids

Det Ch Insp Anthony Leadbeatter said: "Sussex Police proactively tackles money laundering and works to keep vulnerable people in our communities safe from exploitation every day.

"Operations such as Machinize, however, are opportunities to intensify our focus on these areas, cracking down on criminality and building our intelligence to support future work."

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