The latest County Lines Intensification Week resulted in arrests and seizures of class A drugs, weapons and cash.
South Wales Police teamed up with British Transport Police and worked with other UK police forces such as the Metropolitan Police to target County Lines gangs, arresting 31 people between Monday, November 25 to Monday, December 2.
They also seized class A drugs and weapons including machetes and CS sprays.
The week-of-action coincided with a national “week of intensification” which is led by the National County Lines Coordination Centre.
Warrants were executed across south Wales which resulted in:
- 31 arrests;
- Five drugs lines put out of business;
- Drugs worth as much as £79k seized, including;
- 239 grammes of cocaine;
- 90g of crack cocaine;
- 179.64g of heroin;
- 75 cannabis plants;
- £22,774 in criminal cash seized;
- Seizure of a variety of weapons including machetes, CS sprays.
- Eight people were safeguarded
County Lines is the term used to describe drug dealing where mobile phones are used to supply drugs, typically from large cities to towns and rural areas. County Lines are run by ‘Line Holders’ and the runners, sometimes vulnerable people, deliver the drugs. The runners are often young people being exploited and may possess knives or other weapons. The system of drug distribution leads to serious violence and exploitation.
Eight people were safeguarded throughout the week, including a child. It is believed these individuals, vulnerable because of their age, or their personal circumstances, such as addiction, are suspected to have been coerced and controlled by County Lines gangs and at serious risk of harm.
Detective Chief Inspector Jamie Holcombe, from the from Force Intelligence, Economic and Cyber Crime Unit, said:“County Lines presents a real threat to communities across south Wales. The gangs supply devastating drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin on a mass scale and their modus operandi usually involves high levels of violence and the coercion of the most vulnerable in our society, including children.
“This most recent intensification week has been a success and has sent an important message of defiance to those behind the gangs. But our work to tackle County Lines is not defined by a single week of action – we are relentless in our drive to tackle it and our efforts to put drug dealers behind bars, take drugs and weapons off our streets, and ensure dealers do not benefit financially from their crimes, continue throughout the year.
“But we can only do this with the support and information that we get from the public, so I encourage anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to contact us. We treat every piece of information as important and will use it to take action.”
