Drugs seized and vulnerable people safeguarded during week of activity to tackle County Lines

Warrants, arrests and safeguarding visits were carried out during County Lines Intensification Week (CLIW) – the national week of action to target County Lines drug dealing, disrupt the supply of drugs and raise awareness of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE).

County Lines is the term used to describe drug dealing where mobile phones are used to supply drugs from large cities to towns and rural areas. County Lines are run by ‘line holders’ and the runners, often vulnerable people, deliver the drugs. This system of drug distribution can lead to serious violence and exploitation.

Enforcement activity during the week, which took place between Monday 25 November until Sunday 1 December, included an ANPR and partnership operation with the British Transport Police at Loughborough train station, disrupting known mapped lines from West Midlands to Loughborough using plain clothed and uniformed officers.

Joint visits to vulnerable people were carried out by neighbourhood officers and partner organisations. Other partnership enforcement included property seizures with support from the DVLA, trading standards and licensing.

During the week of activity, Leicestershire Police:

• Mapped four new County Lines
• Arrested 32 County Lines members
• Executed 38 warrants
• Recovered a handgun, two captor sprays, five knives, a crossbow, machete, pool cue and sword
• Seized over £22,000 in cash
• Seized quantities of drugs including crack cocaine and recovered 2337 cannabis plants
• Carried out 34 safeguarding visits and visited nine cuckooed addresses

Additional work that took place during the week was by the force’s Violence and Complex Crime Unit’s Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) programme. This is intelligence led, with the Substance Misuse Team working alongside Turning Point (local substance misuse support intervention service) to identify individuals coming into police custody who are likely to be misusing Class-A substances and not engaging in any form of treatment.

The aim of the programme is to identify substance users and encourage them to engage with drug treatments and enter recovery to become substance free long-term.

This resulted in:

• 78 individuals identified within custody who would benefit from support with drugs/alcohol
• 50 were seen on site by a drug treatment worker and offered support
• 6 drug tests were carried out, 4 of which were positive with appointments for required assessments in the community issued

The forces new Child Criminal Exploitation campaign launched during CLIW. Don’t Play Their Game is in place to raise awareness amongst children and young people about the dangers of CCE.

Individuals who become involved rarely view themselves as victims in these situations due to feelings of belonging within their gang associations.

The campaign wants to reassure children and young people that help is available and through a new campaign identity, aims to prevent it from happening to others.

Don’t Play Their Game aims to help educate a youth audience – males and females aged 13-19, about dangers associated with working for gangs and serve as a reminder that working for criminals never ends up how it first seems. See more here: Launch of Don't Play Their Game | Leicestershire Police

Detective Inspector James White, who oversaw the week of activity said: “We take a prevention-first approach to tackling County Lines. County Lines drug dealing is linked to the most serious violence, Leicestershire Police remain dedicated to bringing those responsible for violence and exploitation to justice.

“We continue to protect children and vulnerable adults, safeguarding them from harm, along with relentlessly pursuing offenders – during this week of activity, and every other day of the year.

“We work closely with partner organisations to tackle crime and keep our communities safe, we have collaboratively worked to achieve some fantastic results.”

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews said: “We have a clear responsibility to do everything we can to protect children and vulnerable adults from those who seek to exploit them for criminal purposes.  I have always believed that the best way to do this is prevention and wholeheartedly support the force’s campaign to educate and raise awareness of County Lines.

“It’s clear that this operation has been a success, but I want to stress that proactive work is taking place all year round across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to tackle this abhorrent problem.”

Since 2019, over 5,165 County Lines have been closed, over 15,623 people have been arrested and 8,011 individuals have been safeguarded nationally.

Where to go for help and advice

To find out more about county lines visit: https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/

There is a website specifically for young people to get help and advice on how to stay safe in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Making our community a safe place to live - LiveSafe