Almost 600 people have been arrested in a County Lines crackdown.
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Hundreds of suspected members of county lines drug gangs have been arrested across the UK in the past week, with London being deemed a hot-spot for the criminal activity.
The week-long police operation resulted in 586 arrests, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). It was led by the National Lines County Coordination centre.
Police seized cash totalling £312,649 and cocaine worth £176,780, along with 46 weapons. These included guns, swords, machetes, an axe, knives, samurai swords, and a crossbow.
County Lines is when gangs and organised crime networks exploit children to sell drugs. These children are often forced to travel across counties in the UK. They use dedicated mobile phone ‘lines’ to supply drugs.
The NCA estimates there are around 2,000 city-based gangs exploiting young people to sell drugs in smaller towns.
NCA County Lines lead Nikki Holland said alongside London, most come out of Birmingham and Merseyside.
She said, “Tackling county lines and the misery it causes is a national law enforcement priority. These results demonstrate the power of a whole-system response to a complex problem that we’re seeing in every area of the UK.”
In the operation between 13 and 20 May:
500 men and 86 women were arrested
519 vulnerable adults and 364 children were safeguarded
30 people were referred as potential victims of slavery or human trafficking
Crack cocaine worth £36,550 and heroin worth £17,950 were seized
Making Progress
Ms Holland added: “We are making progress in our fight against County Lines. But we need the help of professionals working with people at risk of being involved in, or exploited by County Lines.”
Iryna Pona is the policy manager at The Children’s Society. She said it is “good to see police are stepping up their fight against the horrors of county lines trafficking with enforcement operations like these.
“But everyone, including professionals, needs to know how to spot the signs that something is wrong. They need to accept that these young people are not troublemakers, but vulnerable children who are being groomed and need help.”
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HeadlinePolice arrest almost 600 people in county lines crackdown
Short HeadlinePolice clampdown on county lines drugs gangs
StandfirstWeapons and drugs were seized during the week-long operation, the National Crime Agency has said.
Hundreds of suspected members of county lines drug gangs have been arrested across the UK in the past week, with London being deemed a hot-spot for the criminal activity.
The week-long police operation resulted in 586 arrests, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). It was led by the National Lines County Coordination centre.
Police seized cash totalling £312,649 and cocaine worth £176,780, along with 46 weapons. These included guns, swords, machetes, an axe, knives, samurai swords, and a crossbow.
County Lines is when gangs and organised crime networks exploit children to sell drugs. These children are often forced to travel across counties in the UK. They use dedicated mobile phone ‘lines’ to supply drugs.
The NCA estimates there are around 2,000 city-based gangs exploiting young people to sell drugs in smaller towns.
NCA County Lines lead Nikki Holland said alongside London, most come out of Birmingham and Merseyside.
She said, “Tackling county lines and the misery it causes is a national law enforcement priority. These results demonstrate the power of a whole-system response to a complex problem that we’re seeing in every area of the UK.”
In the operation between 13 and 20 May:
500 men and 86 women were arrested
519 vulnerable adults and 364 children were safeguarded
30 people were referred as potential victims of slavery or human trafficking
Crack cocaine worth £36,550 and heroin worth £17,950 were seized
Making Progress
Ms Holland added: “We are making progress in our fight against County Lines. But we need the help of professionals working with people at risk of being involved in, or exploited by County Lines.”
Iryna Pona is the policy manager at The Children’s Society. She said it is “good to see police are stepping up their fight against the horrors of county lines trafficking with enforcement operations like these.
“But everyone, including professionals, needs to know how to spot the signs that something is wrong. They need to accept that these young people are not troublemakers, but vulnerable children who are being groomed and need help.”
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