County lines operation leads to 26 arrests

Police have arrested 26 people and seized more than £200,000 worth of drugs during a week targeting criminal gangs bringing supplies into the South West.

Devon and Cornwall Police worked with the British Transport Police and other forces as part of County Lines Intensification Week, which ran until 1 December.

County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into other areas within the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council.

Sgt Tamzin Richards, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said county lines gangs preyed on vulnerable people.

She said a key focus was the train network and the force wanted to send a message that it "is not an easy route for delivering drugs into our area".

Stations, including Torquay, Exeter and Plymouth, were targeted by plain-clothes and unformed officers, along with drug detection dogs.

On Sunday, a police dog sniffed out potential offenders at Torquay Station, leading to two arrests.

Officers said one was arrested on suspicion of the supply of drugs and one for possession of a lock knife.

Along with disrupting the gangs, the operation also aimed to safeguard children and young people who were often exploited and used as runners by gangs.

The force said various warrants were served and safeguarding visits took place at addresses where groups could force vulnerable people to host criminal activity, known as "cuckooing".

It said officers visited 28 suspected cuckooing addresses, including 16 linked to receiving parcels containing drugs.

About £11,000 in cash was also seized, said the force.

Sgt Richards said: "What we find with county lines drugs dealers is they will utilise vulnerable people.

"They will befriend them, get access to their addresses and take over that address, and start running drugs operations from it."

She said "children are an easy target" and "they often can go unnoticed by the police".

"Especially if they have never been in trouble with the police before," Sgt Richards added.

"And if they are vulnerable to exploitation due to circumstances in their lives, it can be really easy for these drugs gangs to target them, shower them with gifts and attention and encourage them to work for them."

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