Nine people arrested during car wash visits for Operation Bubbles in Doncaster investigating modern slavery

Yesterday (13 September), officers worked with a number of partner agencies to visit nine car washes across Doncaster as part of Operation Duxford and Operation Bubbles.

It resulted in nine men being arrested on suspicion of immigration offences, with officers also spotting signs of employees possibly being exploited in the workplace.

Yesterday’s targeted day of action saw South Yorkshire Police collaborate with several key partners, including the Immigration Service, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), HMRC, the Environment Agency, Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

As well as the arrests, over 28 car wash employees were spoken to over the course of yesterday’s visits, with officers focusing on safeguarding them from possible exploitation.

Detective Chief Inspector Anna Sedgwick, who led on yesterday’s Operation Bubbles, which is our dedicated approach to tackling modern slavery and exploitation at hand car washes, said: “We encountered 28-plus employees and our officers went through safeguarding forms with them to raise awareness of some of the aspects of modern slavery.

“There were possible forms of exploitation in the fact they were being underpaid and they were working in inappropriate conditions, and it was important for us and our partners to make the workers aware of this.

“Hand car washes can prove to be a popular business model but unfortunately, we know that unregulated establishments can be linked to wider organised crime groups (OCGs).

“They can be involved in the production of drugs, human trafficking, money laundering, child exploitation, as well as organised immigration crime and that is why we use a multi-agency approach to carry out these spot checks, disrupt their activities and take action against criminality that is occurring.”

Yesterday’s visits under Operation Bubbles triggered a series of investigations by other agencies, with the DWP, HMRC and the Environment Agency all launching probes into possible breaches.

With instances of modern slavery and human trafficking often happening under the radar, yesterday’s operation demonstrated the visible proactive policing work taking place to crack down on unregulated hand car washes.

DCI Sedgwick said: “We want to be visible to reassure the public that we are taking this incredibly seriously and to let other hand car washes or businesses with links to organised crime groups that we will turn up and do these spot checks.

“We will be speaking to employees and we will take action against any criminality that is occurring.”

DCI Sedgwick added: "If you are worried about someone being exploited or worried you might be being exploited yourself, please know that you are not alone, and we are here to help.

“Even the smallest bit of information could prove to be crucial. We want you to know that there is a lot of support available out there and your concerns will be taken seriously. Report it to us and we will help you.”

Yesterday’s Duxford saw a total of 15 arrests. Nine of these were related to immigration breaches, with other arrests taking place after the execution of six warrants at properties across Doncaster.

Following two warrants executed in Mexborough, a 34-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class C drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

A quantity of drugs, including cannabis and pregabalin, were seized, along with an axe, a knife and two motorbikes.

Other arrests during Duxford included a 24-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, both from Doncaster, arrested on suspicion of burglary. Nathan Scotting, 21, of Victoria Road, Doncaster, was also charged with burglary following an alleged incident on 7 September.

There were also 60 speeding offences recorded, five legal notices served for tenancy breaches, 19 untaxed vehicles spotted through ANPR cameras and illegal vapes recovered following tobacco enforcement visits by Doncaster Council.

Duxford also saw a number of high visibility patrols taking place and multiple stolen vehicles were recovered as part of the targeted day of action.

A pop-up hub was in place at Grainger Centre in Edlington, with support provided between 9am and 3pm by local PCSOs as well as external partners, including ASPIRE and the NHS.

Vehicle stops were also carried out with the help of partner agencies at a checkpoint in Edlington Lane. This allowed officers to target vehicles deemed at risk of possibly containing illegal immigrants and to track vehicles linked to possible exploitation and OCGs.

Detective Inspector Claire Moss, who led Wednesday's Duxford operation, said: “I would like to thank our officers and staff for their daily dedication to policing South Yorkshire, as well as our partners for working with us to achieve a positive outcome.

“This partnership operation draws on the expertise of officers and staff from Doncaster Council, Trading Standards, the DWP, the DVSA and the NCA, as well as a multitude of other bodies and organisations.

“We couldn’t do it without them, and their support is crucial in protecting our communities and keeping people safe.”

If you have concerns about crime in your area, you can report it via 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Further information about signs of exploitation you can look out for can be found on the SYP website.

Find out more about the support available to victims of modern day slavery on the Snowdrop Project's website https://www.snowdropproject.co.uk/ .