Almost 30 arrests and drugs confiscated in taskforce crackdown

A total of 28 people were arrested in Staffordshire while £9,100 in cash plus more than two kilograms drugs were seized as part of a national campaign to disrupt dealers.

Officers for West Midlands, Warwickshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire police forces took part in County Lines Intensification Week.

The operation saw local officers and detectives target individuals and locations to dismantle drugs supply across the county as well as identifying and protecting vulnerable victims.

See also:

• Over 100 arrests, drugs and weapons seized in West Midlands county lines crackdown

In response to intelligence and community concerns the money and 175 cannabis plants were also seized.

Meanwhile a total of 20 vulnerable people were safeguarded after officers visited 46 addresses of potential victims of 'cuckooing' across the county and Stoke-on-Trent.

In addition to our operational efforts, officers also delivered more than 170 county line awareness sessions in a number of schools, distributed leaflets and took part in online meetings to help communities spot the signs of exploitation and enable the police to signpost those at risk to the relevant support groups.

Detective Superintendent Nicki Addison, from the Major and Organised Crime department at Staffordshire Police, said: “Although we proactively target county lines criminality throughout the year, this intensification week gave us the opportunity to work as team across the force and with partners to target those causing harm in our communities.

"This helped us to identify those causing harm, bring people to justice whilst also stopping three major drug lines operating in Staffordshire.

“Going forward, with our partners we are committed to tackling this criminality through targeting the crime groups responsible, ensuring that we continue to protect our most vulnerable and make Staffordshire a safe place for our communities.”

The intensification week ran from February 27-March 5.