Police target barbers and vape shops in organised crime raids

Police are raiding more than 150 high street businesses in Scotland as part of a major operation against organised crime.

Officers targeted convenience stores, barbers and vape shops suspected of being fronts for crime gangs.

Detectives believe shops are being used for money-laundering, selling illicit tobacco products and committing immigration and tax offences.

It comes as part of the UK-wide Operation Machinize, which was launched by the National Crime Agency (NCA) earlier this year.

BBC Scotland News followed officers from Police Scotland, Immigration Enforcement and His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as they raided two premises in the east end of Glasgow.

On Monday, officers raided 13 businesses in Glasgow, Fife and Forth Valley.

In total they seized 4000 illicit cigarettes, 5.4kg of tobacco and reported seven people for benefit fraud offences.

One man was identified as having no right to work in the UK.

Det Insp Jason Nichol, of Police Scotland's serious organised crime unit, said: "It's a UK wide operation into serious and organised crime and money laundering.

"They use vulnerable people as staff and we are looking to disrupt that."