Two people have been arrested on immigration offences after raids in shops in South Holland and Boston.
Lincolnshire Police hasn’t said what four shops were raided as a result of the action on Tuesday May 5.
They were orchestrated by the Neighbourhood Policing Teams, working alongside East Midlands Immigration Compliance & Enforcement unit.
“This follows earlier engagement in February, when both agencies carried out community outreach to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking,” a police spokesman said. “This included sharing information on the signs of exploitation, providing face-to-face advice, and signposting to reporting mechanisms for suspected illegal working and trafficking offences.
“All businesses involved will now be subject to further investigation, with potential outcomes including enforcement action or financial penalties.”
Sergeant Callum Corder, of Spalding’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Exploitation is often linked to organised crime, and this work is instrumental in supporting safer communities.
“Through ongoing collaboration with local residents and businesses, our teams gain vital intelligence to help disrupt criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, protecting the public from harm, and supporting those who are vulnerable or at risk of exploitation.
“This particular project was undertaken by our response officers, whom along with responding to 999 calls, are invested in the problem-solving of local community matters also.
“We urge anyone with concerns or information to please let us know. While you might not always see an immediate response, any information provided and concerns raised helps us build a better picture of potential problem areas, which in turn enables us to channel our resources most effectively.
“All intelligence is handled sensitively and confidentially. Together, we can continue to target modern slavery and human trafficking, along with its associated criminality and anti-social behaviour, to protect our communities.”
You can contact Lincolnshire Police on By calling 101, via the ‘Tell us about’ section of our website: https://www.lincs.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/ or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
