Arrests and seizures made in County Lines week of action

More than 60 arrests have been made as part of a co-ordinated crackdown on cross-border drug dealing.

Officers across the country joined forces last week in a targeted strike against County Lines - organised criminal networks and gangs who use dedicated phone or ‘deal’ lines to import and export illegal drugs.

Northumbria Police reaffirmed its zero tolerance stance on drugs in the North East by joining other police forces for the national week of action, which began on November 25.

County Lines sees criminals groom children and vulnerable adults through coercion, intimidation and violence, to store drugs and money with deals arranged via bulk text or social media messages.

National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) oversaw the latest week of action, with our officers seizing up to 8,000 tablets of MDMA and more than 50 bags of amphetamine, along with quantities of cocaine, ecstasy and spice.

Warrants also saw weapons such as machetes, a zombie knife and a crossbow taken from addresses. Suspected stolen motorbikes were also seized, with 55 individuals successfully safeguarded.

The Force’s knife arch was deployed at a number of Metro across the region, with neighbourhood officers joined by our partners British Transport Police and operator Nexus.

School visits were also carried out to help educate children about County Lines criminality and how they can avoid being exploited.

Detective Chief Inspector John Robinson, of Northumbria Police, said:

Our commitment to eradicating this form of criminality from our region has once again been shown through this latest week of action.

Organised criminals seek to profit from the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, and our communities deserve better than to have these drug dealers using our area for their illicit trading.

The results from intensification period is just a snapshot of the work carried out by our officers on a daily basis to combat this type of offending to shut down supply chains, and stop these criminal networks.

The North East is no safe haven for drug dealers, and we will not rest in our pursuit to bring all those responsible to justice and safeguard those already affected by this kind of criminality.

Anyone who suspects that something not quite right is happening in their community should send us a direct message on social media, use the live chat on the Force website or complete a crime update form at www.northumbria.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

For those who are unable to contact us via those ways, call 101.

In an emergency, or where a crime is taking place, always dial 999.

Alternatively, members of the public can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or go to https://crimestoppers-uk.org/