Drugs seized, arrests made and people safeguarded in county lines crackdown

We have seized more than £9,000 worth of drugs, arrested 37 suspects and safeguarded 21 people as part of a crackdown on county lines activity in Staffordshire.

Officers have been working with local partners to act robustly against the crime gangs responsible for high-harm offences on our streets.

Last Monday (25 November), we started a week of action, working proactively to target a number of suspected drug lines and to speak to those most at risk of criminal exploitation in our communities.

We seized an estimated £9,600-worth of crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine across Staffordshire, alongside a number of prohibited and dangerous weapons, an imitation firearm and £11,500 in cash.

A significant drug line operating in Cannock was shut down as a result of this activity.

We visited almost 50 addresses across the force that were potentially linked to cuckooing, a method used by organised gangs to exploit vulnerable people in their own homes. Gangs often use violence and intimidation in these circumstances to take over their homes as a base for their criminal drug operations.

We safeguarded more than 20 people and submitted referrals to supporting agencies to help those at risk of exploitation.   

Officers also engaged with local communities in schools, colleges, universities, care homes and taxi companies as part of wider efforts to educate people on the signs of criminal exploitation. We delivered a high number of informative sessions across Staffordshire, helping people to spot the signs and offer help to those who may be exploited by criminals to get the right support and help them break away.

Detective Superintendent Nicki Addison, head of our major and organised crime teams, said: “We’ve worked across the force and achieved a number of positive results in this week of action, both in the proactive enforcement space and also the educational prevent space, to support our communities and to reduce organised crime in the area.

“Tackling county lines activity can be complex and needs to be done as a collective with partners and the wider community. We know vulnerable children and adults in local communities can be used to move the drugs from one place to another, stash drugs or deal drugs on behalf of others.  

“We’re determined to go after those leading these criminal operations and put a stop to the gangs or criminals that continue to seek to cause harm to vulnerable people or operate in our communities.

“County lines activity and serious and organised crime causes deep harm in local communities and can destroy the lives of others. We’re determined to relentlessly continue our pursuit of criminals and to bring down the networks behind serious and organised crime.”

If you know about county lines activity in your area or you’d like to report a crime, call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.