Two Bury sisters who ran a drugs ring from a beauty salon have had more than £300,000 taken from them.
17 individuals involved in the cross-Pennine criminal empire, including those instrumental in driving drugs between Manchester and Yorkshire, have now had huge sums of money confiscated, totalling £736,464.30.
Bury-based Shazia Din and her sister Abia lost £259,079.17 and £49,478.45 respectively after a Judge confiscated the money from them at a recent POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) hearing at Manchester Crown Court.
Shazia used to run the criminal empire from her shop, the Beauty Booth in Bury, using the business on Chesham Industrial Estate to launder dirty money.
The beauty business on the Chesham Industrial Estate in Bury. Credit: GMP
Seized items in the operation included more than 60kg of Class A drugs (including heroin and cocaine) as well as £300,000 in cash, a hydraulic press, drugs paraphernalia, a handgun and ammunition.
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In total, members of the conspiracy were sentenced to a combined 140 years.
Following the confiscation, Detective Chief Inspector Roger Smethurst said: “We are extremely pleased with the results of the confiscation hearing, and the case as a whole.
“The officers involved have worked tirelessly to secure convictions against instrumental members of an organised crime group operating out of Greater Manchester.
“We hope that this serves as a reminder to anyone that we continue to investigate and secure convictions in large-scale drugs operations.”
Featured image: GMP
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Woman arrested on suspicion of arson over moorland fire near Dovestone Reservoir
Emily Sergeant
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson as part of the ongoing investigation into a large moorland fire near Dovestone Reservoir.
After the blaze broke out on Saturday evening at the popular beauty spot in Oldham, prompting a major multi-agency response that has now entered its third day, fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have been working around the clock in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies have also been deployed as operations continue across multiple sectors of the incident.
To make matters worse, ‘strong’ winds yesterday carried smoke across parts of Greater Manchester – with reports of haze and the smell of burning being received from areas well beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire.
Residents affected by smoke are advised to keep windows and doors closed where possible.
GMFRS say firefighters ‘remain focused’ on limiting the spread of the blaze while protecting the surrounding landscape and supporting ongoing operations in ‘difficult’ terrain.
As efforts to extinguish the fire continue, Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Neighbourhood Policing Team has confirmed that officers arrested a 20-year-old woman yesterday afternoon (13 July) on suspicion of arson, and she remains in custody for questioning.
Detective Inspector Andrew Day, of Oldham’s CID, added in a statement: “We are aware of social media posts circulating regarding this incident and would like to stress that this is a live police investigation.
“We would encourage people stop speculating regarding this and if you do have information, please report it to ourselves.”
Road closures remain in place at Holmfirth Road and Bank Lane with no access to Dovestone Reservoir.
“We ask that members of the public avoid the affected areas ensuring emergency services have the space to carry out their work safely and effectively,” GMP concluded in a statement.
Featured Image – GMFRS
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Robinson’s Brewery among latest to join the crucial ‘VAT’s the Problem campaign’
Danny Jones
In case you missed the news, local Greater Manchester business Robinson’s Brewery are among several big names to join the growing ‘VAT’s the Problem’ hospitality campaign.
The Stockport beer makers are just one of the latest recognisable brands to rally behind the initiative set up by well-known British chef Tom Kerridge.
As well as appearing on the likes of Great British Menu, MasterChef, and Saturday Kitchen, the restaurateur also sadly had to close his Manc restaurant at the Stock Exchange Hotel back in 2022 amid the ever-lingering cost of living crisis, as well as rising energy bills and business rates.
Spearheading this mass petition since the start of June, Kerridge is now being backed up by the likes of Robinson’s and many more who believe the change could prove vital for countless operators within the industry to survive.
Sharing a lengthy statement in the caption of a post on their social media profile, ‘Robbie’s’ wrote: “Hospitality is one of the UK’s greatest success stories. It employs millions of people, gives young people their first jobs, creates lifelong careers, keeps high streets alive and brings communities together.
“But the sector is under enormous pressure. Rising energy costs. Food inflation. Huge employment costs. Unjust business rates. The highest tax burden in the UK economy. And on top of all of that – a 20% VAT rate that is among the highest in Europe.
“Countries including Spain, Italy, France, Ireland and Germany know how important hospitality is to society, and they know it pays too much tax. That’s why they already support hospitality with lower VAT rates. The UK deserves the same.”
Proposing – along with their fellow campaigners across the country – for the VAT to be cut in half, they believe that 10% would not only help keep struggling bars, restaurants and more alive, but help further invest in job creation, aid customers when it comes to overall costs, and therefore “strengthen high streets and local communities.”
It isn’t just a case of reducing obstacles for those working within the sector, but an effort to help bring prices down across the board across Great Britain. Those who passionately serve the population are falling short, while those who want to patronise their favourite places can’t make ends meet.
“Because when hospitality businesses close, communities lose far more than places to eat and drink; they lose connection, opportunity and local identity. Help us, help our industry.”
Besides soon-to-be Prime Minister and outgoing Mayor Andy Burnham having been vocal in championing the campaign, others getting behind the movement range from native names like the Third Floor Rising cafe in Afflecks to fellow famous chefs like Scotland’s Tom Kitchin.
Issuing a statement to The Manc, the brewery’s MD for their pubs, William Robinson, went on to add: William Robinson, Managing Director of Pubs, went on to say: “The compounding impact of taxes on pubs and hospitality is really beginning to bite the sector; the changes to National Insurance and National Minimum Wage increases affect hospitality businesses especially hard.
“To be able to invest in our teams and future growth, hospitality needs to be given the same support it receives in other European countries. This will also allow us to employ and invest in younger team members and through that help them to develop skills which they can use throughout their careers.”
You can support the VAT’s the Problem campaign by signing the petition right HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
30th August 2022 
