395 posts
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Post by lichtie on Jun 18, 2022 12:00:58 GMT
In Edinburgh, if it's a tat shop it probably belongs to the Gold brothers... Or the other split off part of the family empire. However they manage it they've become very wealthy on the back of the crap they flog to tourists.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2022 18:50:50 GMT
In early 2000's I worked in an office right by New Street Station in Birmingham and one of the fashion shops opposite that was rumoured to be a front for drug dealing and money laundering. The Police actally came into our building and watched the shop front from an empty floor wing for a few days so I could see things like that happening. No arrests were made but proves that sort of thing does happen.
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Post by jojo on Jun 21, 2022 17:25:41 GMT
I was advised that nail bars are often used as money laundering fronts, as are equivalent businesses places that deal mainly in cash, with hard to define sales and a high turnover of staff and customers. Unfortunately, a number of nail bars have been involved in modern slavery too. See also car washes. Council's often have suspicions about particular premises, but these sorts of businesses are used for shady goings on because it is hard to prove what they are up to. If ever you are wondering how on earth a shop can possibly be making money - it's possible they aren't trying to. I'm surprised that some nail salons are used as money laundering fronts as those offer a genuine service. It's not all of them, but there's no reason why money launderers' would avoid businesses that also offer a genuine service. It's no disrespect to the people who run legitimate establishments, but if you think of the business model, it's easy to set one up wherever money might need laundered. Or at least it was. I was first told by someone who investigated these things around 15 years ago. They probably switch things up whenever a business comes under too much scrutiny. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2022 17:35:10 GMT
I'm surprised that some nail salons are used as money laundering fronts as those offer a genuine service. It's not all of them, but there's no reason why money launderers' would avoid businesses that also offer a genuine service. It's no disrespect to the people who run legitimate establishments, but if you think of the business model, it's easy to set one up wherever money might need laundered. Or at least it was. I was first told by someone who investigated these things around 15 years ago. They probably switch things up whenever a business comes under too much scrutiny. Someone might have dodgy businesses but they might also have legit ones so well said JoJo. Police and authorities may start looking when someone looks to be living beyond their means but when the bloke in the big house with the 40k car is known to own a string of "candy stores" for example people may not look so hard. It might just be where has the money come from to start these businesses up. Plus they often have several owners/silent partners. I've been to bars/concert venues over the years and helped run gigs and got to know managers or duty managers pretty well and often they don't even know who really owns the venue. These are totally legit guys, one guy was a millionaire several times over but he was never seen at the venues the only time anyone ever saw him was when the business won a prestigious local business award and he attended. The guy was totally legit but he was low profile so those with dirty money could easily have this sort of profile. Anyone says they were dodgy they now claim to have reformed etc. |
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