HMRC has seized more than 3,300 litres of suspected illicit alcohol from 14 shops across London, the West Midlands and Warwickshire as it steps up a nationwide crackdown on illegal activity on the high street.
As announced by HMRC today (Aug 20), its official made unannounced visits to six shops in London in the borough of Brent, Wembley, Middlesex, Lewisham and Croydon on 13 and 14 August.
Approximately 1,180 litres of suspected illicit alcohol were seized. HMRC will use the intelligence gathered in its investigations to inform future action to tackle illegal activity on the high street.
The visits, tax and organised crime investigations, seizures and warnings are part of HMRC’s plan to carry out more than 30,000 compliance interventions in 2026-27 to tackle tax fraud and illegal activity on the high street.
HMRC and its partners are executing UK-wide investigations targeting enablers behind high street harm, including those using vape shops, barbers, souvenir shops, candy stores and convenience stores as fronts for money laundering and tax crime.
Kevin Hubbard, Director of Small Business and Individuals Compliance at HMRC, said: "Too many high streets have been blighted by illegal activity that harms communities and undercuts honest businesses. We’re determined to change that.
"We’re working in London and across the UK, increasing our action targeting the criminals using shops as a front for tax evasion, money laundering and fraud.
"This is a sustained, nationwide effort – and HMRC and its partners will use every power available to dismantle these criminal networks.”
Meanwhile in Midlands, the tax authority said its officers, working alongside Trading Standards and police, carried out unannounced visits to eight premises in Birmingham, Sandwell and Coventry earlier this month.
Officers from HMRC, with support from colleagues in Trading Standards and police, visited shops in Birmingham and the Sandwell area on 12 August and premises in Coventry on 13 August.
About 2,169 litres of suspected illicit alcohol was seized. It follows visits to eight shops last month in Coventry, Rugby, Nuneaton and Leamington Spa last month where a further 2,000 litres of alcohol was seized.
HMRC is using intelligence gathered in its investigations to inform future action to tackle illegal activity on the high street. The visits, tax and organised crime investigations, seizures and warnings are part of HMRC’s plan to carry out more than 30,000 compliance interventions in 2026-27 to tackle tax fraud and illegal activity on the high street.
HMRC and its partners are executing UK-wide investigations targeting enablers behind high street harm, including those using vape shops, barbers, souvenir shops, candy stores and convenience stores as fronts for money laundering and tax crime.
Hubbard said: "High streets across Warwickshire and the West Midlands have been blighted by illegal activity that harms communities and undercuts honest businesses.
“We’re working across the UK to tackle criminals using shops as a front for tax evasion, money laundering and fraud. "This is a sustained, nationwide effort – and HMRC and its partners will use every power available to dismantle these criminal networks.”
At 2025’s Budget, the Chancellor announced a new team of 350 criminal investigators to tackle evasion by small businesses. These investigators have been recruited and around half of their work is focused specifically on disrupting harmful high street businesses and the people behind them.