Criminals in Warwickshire more than £1m out of pocket following week of action
Police have been tackling county lines drug dealing last week.
Over £1 million of drugs has been taken off the streets in Warwickshire, as part of a national week of action targeting county lines drug dealing.
County Lines Intensification Week – which ran from 9-15 October - is an initiative aimed at tackling a trade linked to serious violent crime and the exploitation of vulnerable people.
Throughout the week, Warwickshire Police seized more than 2300 cannabis plants with a street value of more than £1.1m, £2500 in cash, and more than £30k in cocaine.
In addition, 23 people were arrested on suspicion of a range of drug related offences.
County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups from large cities use vulnerable young people to move drugs into smaller towns and rural areas.
In Exhall, 1,839 cannabis plants were seized with a street value of more than £1m after officers raided an industrial unit. Four men were arrested and charged.
In Rugby, officers seized more than £30k worth of cocaine after stopping a car in York Street. A man was arrested and charged.
In the south of the county, four drug warrants were executed and eight people arrested on suspicion of drug offences.
Detective Chief Inspector Rich Brown from the Warwickshire Police Prevent Team said: "County lines drug gangs continue to exploit vulnerable people in our communities. Last week’s activity was about disrupting their activity and reducing the opportunities for criminals to profit from the exploitation of others.
"As well as taking enforcement action we visited vulnerable people to ensure measures were in place to protect them from exploitation. We also gathered a lot of intelligence that will help us continue to disrupt the activity of county lines gangs.
"Information from the public is vital in helping us tackling these gangs. Please be aware of the signs of exploitation and report any concerns you have to us. Every piece of intelligence, no matter how small, gives us a better picture of the problem and help us focus our resources to tackle it."
Home Secretary Suella Braverman accompanied officers from West Midlands Police on raids in Coventry, as part of the week of action.
The operation saw cannabis with an estimated street value of £850,000 seized, including more than 850 plants and nearly 6kg (13lb) of dried cannabis recovered.
Ms Braverman said: "We know that drugs, whether it's class A - cocaine or heroin or crack cocaine - or cannabis, cause extensive misery and devastation to communities and individuals and we're determined to stamp it out."
Concerns can be reported by calling 101. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.