Thirty arrests as Staffordshire Police crack down on County Lines drug activity
Thirty arrests have been made and five people charged during a week of action for police officers dealing with County Lines activity in Staffordshire.
Cash totalling around £3,000 was also seized, as well as 210 deals of crack cocaine, 64 deals of heroin and 15 deals of cannabis.
Staffordshire Police say seven vulnerable people were safeguarded, while six weapons were also seized during the County Lines action this week.
In the last week, the force has also secured several convictions relating to County Lines offending – including a 28-year-old West Bromwich man who was jailed for six years and nine months for possession with intent to supply cocaine in the Cannock area. Police in Stafford also secured convictions for a man found with 1kg of cannabis in Stone and a 21-year-old man dealing heroin and crack cocaine in Stafford.
Forces and agencies across the country worked together between October 7 and 13, in an intensification week targeting this activity – which is where groups of young men from urban areas move into smaller towns to distribute crack cocaine or heroin.
The groups use vulnerable young people, often aged between 14 to 24 years old, to traffic the drugs after deals are agreed remotely through a mobile or 'line'. The young people involved may be coerced into the activity using debt, drug use, grooming, threats or violence, police say.
Detective Superintendent O'Toole, from Staffordshire Police, said: "This has been another busy and intensive week of activity focusing on protecting the vulnerable in our communities and dealing with offenders.
“We are working hard to tackle this challenge by disrupting those who would bring drugs into our county.
"We will arrest and charge those dealing drugs but more importantly look to safeguard the young and vulnerable who may be coerced or pressured into this type of activity.”
