More than 80 arrests as police seize weapons and drugs in County Lines raids
Weapons and drugs were seized and 84 arrests made as part of a police campaign against County Lines crime gangs
Officers from West Midlands Police raided almost 50 addresses and arrested dozens of suspected drug dealers, as well as seizing hundreds of drugs and thousands of pounds in cash.
Among those arrested were seven in Dudley, 12 in Sandwell, seven in Walsall and five in Wolverhampton.
The campaign, which ran between May 17 and 23, saw the force work with neighbouring police forces in a coordinated blitz on organised crime groups believed to be running cocaine and heroin supply chains. An array of weapons were seized, including a sawn-off shotgun and an imitation handgun. The force also recovered more than 500 wraps of Class A drugs and around £13,000 in cash.
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The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said the County Lines work helped to protect young people from exploitation and tackle the drug barons responsible.
He said "I am committed to protecting vulnerable people who are being ruthlessly exploited and the Violence Reduction Unit are working tirelessly to keep young people safe.
"I joined one of the West Midlands Police gang’s teams last week to understand more about the work they are doing with partners in local authorities to protect and safeguard young people who may be, or have been, drawn into county lines.
"Our children should be seen as children first and foremost and should be able to grow up feeling safe and cared for."
A property in West Bromwich was one of a number raided in the Black Country, with a small amount of cannabis, mixing agents and four mobile phones being seized.
A notable warrant came in Wensleydale Road in Birmingham, where £5,000 in cash, several ‘burner’ phones, and a ball of what’s suspected to be crack cocaine worth £5,000 was seized.
Number plate tracking
A police drone spotted a man running into the rear garden and he was quickly arrested on suspicion of drugs supply.
The 32-year-old was believed to be involved in a County Line running between Birmingham and Worcester and has been released under investigation while the phones and suspected drugs are examined.
The force ran Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations looking for people moving drugs by road and worked with British Transport Police to identify any drugs runners using the rail system.
During an operation at Sutton Coldfield train station on May 19, 20 wraps of what’s believed to be Class A drugs were seized from a 17-year-old who tried avoiding the metal detecting knife arches.
The teenager been released under investigation while the substance seized is tested.
Awareness
In addition to enforcement activity, The force has also reached out to children across the region to raise awareness of the dangers of being lured into County Lines drug dealing.
County Lines lead, Supt Wendy Bailey, said: "We ran more than 120 County Lines awareness and education sessions at schools, plus visited more than 130 children who are believed to be at risk of exploitation.
"We’ve had cases in the past of children being lured into it with promises of easy money and designer clothes, but the reality was being holed up in a drugs den miles from home, in awful conditions, and being forced to carry out street deals.
"It’s a very dangerous environment for anyone, let alone a child.
"Last week was a focused operation on County Lines but it’s a problem we’re tackling every day of the week.
"We have a dedicated County Lines taskforce and are regularly closing down and disrupting lines and securing long jail terms against offenders."
