74 arrested in week-long West Midlands crackdown on County Lines drugs crime
More than 70 people have been arrested as part of a crackdown by police on County Lines drug networks in the West Midlands.
Officers in the region arrested 74 people, seized thousands of pounds of cocaine and heroin, and recovered dangerous weapons.
The week-long crackdown by the force also involved 31 warrants carried out at addresses linked to cross-border drugs supply.
Superintendent Rich Agar, the lead officer for County Lines, said: "There has been no let-up in our determination to tackle County Lines offenders during Covid-19.
"Any offenders who thought we’d taken our foot off the gas got a shock last week: we arrested 74 people and in the wider West Midlands region there were 133 arrests.
"We also safeguarded 22 vulnerable people and visited 39 potential ‘cuckoo’ addresses – homes that could be targeted by dealers to use as drugs dens.
"Our work continues this week as, alongside partners in local authorities, health and charities, our focus turns to safeguarding and to divert young people who are vulnerable to County Lines exploitation away from criminal gangs and on to brighter futures."
Officers also ran Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations to look for people moving drugs by road. It saw them involve British Transport Police to also identify whether any drugs runners were using the railway system as well.
On February 4 officers raided an address in Smethwick where a father and son were arrested on suspicion of drug dealing. Three large bags of cannabis were recovered along with a bag of white powder believed to be Class A drugs. A man aged 41 and boy aged 16 were arrested and later released under investigation while enquiries continue.
Two teenagers were also arrested on Thursday near Wolverhampton railway station as officers, working with British Transport Police and West Mercia Police, disrupted a County Line thought to be running from the city to Hereford and Kidderminster.
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Two knives sere recovered and a 14-year-old boy from Bilston, who cannot be named, was charged with knife possession and is due to appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on February 17.
Two men – both aged 27 – were arrested after they were found in a BMW parked in the Uplands, Coventry, on February 4. Officers seized a ball of compressed cocaine and 70 dealer wraps.
Coventry Gangs Unit teamed up with traffic officers to intercept the two men who are suspected of running a County Line into Warwickshire. Officers went on to search six houses in the city, arresting more people and seizing vehicles. A total of seven people were arrested in connection with the drugs operation.
And on February 1, the force teamed up with West Mercia Police for a warrant in Evesham with suspected links to a drugs line. Drugs valued at almost £700 were seized – all divided into dealer wraps – plus £600 in cash.
A 17-year-old boy was later charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply and is due to be sentenced in court on March 1 having admitted the offence at a hearing last week.
Also on February 1, officers seized more than £160,000 from an apartment in Commercial Street, Birmingham, after following up intelligence about suspicious behaviour at the address.
The notes – £30,800 in £50s and £102,360 in £20s – were seized after being found stuffed inside plastic carrier bags. Police enquiries continue as they look to permanently seize the cash if it is suspected to be crime proceeds.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Waheed Saleem said: "Exploiters use young or vulnerable people to distribute drugs through County Lines activity. It’s a dangerous web to get caught up in and is destructive at every level – threatening the safety and damaging the health and prospects of the young people involved, their families, and their communities.
"Our Violence Reduction Unit works with a number of partners to offer young people a way out. Through support services in Accident and Emergency, Police Custody, in schools and in the community, we aim to be alongside them as they navigate their way out of complex and frightening situations.
"It’s terrifying for parents, siblings and for those who care about these young people to acknowledge what might be going on, and it can seem like you are alone. We are working to raise awareness of the early signs of exploitation and to support those who think it might be affecting their family or their community.
"It’s possible to prevent young people falling into the traps set by exploiters by fostering communities where they have a strong sense of belonging, and the security that comes with decent housing, education, jobs, healthcare, family support and a route to prosper. Together, we can make that ambition a reality.”
Police intelligence suggests there are currently around 100 County Lines running out of Birmingham across the UK, to places as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland.
