Children safeguarded as £50k worth of cocaine found at Halesowen home
Three young children have been safeguarded after £50,000 of cocaine, cash and a gun were found at a house in the Black Country.
Around half a kilo of cocaine - with an estimated street value of almost £50,000 - was seized alongside a large sum of cash, a gun and ammunition.
Three vehicles linked to the people who live at the address in Century Way, Halesowen, were also seized and two people were arrested.
A 33-year-old man from Handsworth was taken into custody on suspicion of firearms offences and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug
A woman, aged 31, was also arrested on suspicion of firearms and drug-related offences.
Inspector Pete Sandhu, from Dudley Police, said: “We will always take a zero tolerance approach to those we suspect of being involved in county lines, drug dealing and wider organised crime.
“Organised criminal networks ruthlessly exploit children and other vulnerable people to produce and sell their drugs, damaging our communities in order to line their pockets."
Officers have warned that dealers are increasingly using homes or abandoned properties due to the lockdown restrictions, while gangs are using their own cars, taxis or private hire vehicles in order to move young drug runners around to sell their products.
“Even in the midst of this national pandemic we know that drugs gangs are still trying to operate," Insp Sandhu added.
“We will continue to pursue those we suspect of being involved in order to protect our communities and keep people safe."
Anyone with information on drug dealing is asked to contact police on 101, via Live Chat online or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
