More than £319K in drugs seized and 68 arrests made in crackdown on county lines drug dealing

During the week between 9 October and 15, police across the force area seized drugs with an estimated street value of more than £319,000, as well as 9 vehicles, 27 weapons, 73 phones and more than £16K in cash.

Police enforcement activity directly resulted in the closure of four county lines, and as a result, the force says it has taken dangerous people, weapons, and drugs off our streets.

The work is part of Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion's commitment to build a safer West Mercia, as set out in his Safer West Mercia Plan, to drive down crime and continue to disrupt county lines beyond this specific week of action.

What is county lines?

County lines drug dealers often exploit children and young people, recruiting them to deal drugs on their behalf. Once recruited into county lines it can be difficult for those being exploited to leave, with fear and intimidation used to keep them in place.

Vulnerable adults, such as those dependent on drug use, will also be targeted and their property taken over by drug dealers in a local area, a practice known as cuckooing.

Safeguarding work

To help tackle this, police carried out safeguarding work to protect vulnerable people and children from being exploited by county lines gangs. Officers visited schools, universities, and sports clubs to make them aware of the warning signs of county lines, and highlighted the ways they can report these signs if they see them. Teams visited 127 properties on cuckooing visits and safeguarded 46 people because of our intensified approach.

Positive action

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wall said: “We are obviously pleased that we have arrested 68 people involved in county lines drug dealing and that we have closed 4 lines and seized drugs to the value of £319K.

"But we have also placed a real focus on safeguarding those impacted by county lines drug dealing. Whether that be young and vulnerable people being criminally exploited or those impacted by the wider damage caused by drugs in our communities.

"Positive action by West Mercia Police and our partners has led to a significant number of young and vulnerable people being diverted away from becoming further involved with county lines offending.

“Serious and Organised Crime and County Lines drug dealing remains a priority for West Mercia Police. We will work tirelessly to make sure our communities are unwelcoming for criminals travelling across our policing borders. We will continue to prioritise the pursuit and prosecution of those who bring drugs into our counties, commit violence, and exploit vulnerable members of our communities.”

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “I regularly hear about the negative impacts caused on our streets caused by serious drug offences and I am committed to making a difference.

“I will continue to invest in West Mercia Police with the resources and tools it needs to continue to succeed in its operations and bring criminals to justice.

“The achievements made during the County Lines Intensification week shine a spotlight on the dedicated serving officers across West Mercia.

“I will continue to support West Mercia Police to ensure it delivers on my Safer West Mercia Plan and your policing priorities.”