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Updated · BBC.com · Apr 23BBC Probe Reveals Drugs Sold in UK High Street Shops; Arrests Made in West Midlands
24 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Apr 23
- A BBC investigation has uncovered the sale of cocaine, cannabis, laughing gas, and prescription pills in mini-marts on UK High Streets.
- Undercover reporters filmed drugs being offered in shops across four West Midlands towns, leading to the arrest of a man and woman in Dudley.
- Authorities and local businesses warn that organised crime gangs are exploiting shopfronts, raising concerns about violence and community safety.
Beyond more police, what can permanently stop these high street drug fronts? How are corner shops becoming the new front line for organised crime? Are illegal vapes sold in local shops funding human trafficking rings? If 42 shops were shut down, why can criminals just reopen them nearby? With laws failing, how can legitimate owners protect their shops from gangs? How effective is facial recognition against criminals who use fake identities?