Police freeze £1m as high street raids find cannabis farms and evidence of slavery

As well as seizing more than £40,000, police also froze bank accounts containing over £1m. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Police have frozen bank accounts containing more than £1m after uncovering cannabis farms and evidence of modern slavery during raids on more than 250 barbershops and other high street businesses.

In a three-week crackdown on high street crime, known as Operation Machinize, the National Crime Agency (NCA) targeted “cash-intensive” businesses that it believes are linked to money laundering.