Warwickshire Police arrest 14 people and seize thousands of pounds worth of drugs

It's as they crack down on county lines in the area.

Author: Molly HookingsPublished 10th Mar 2023

Last week, 14 people were arrested, and drugs, weapons, cash, and phones were seized across Warwickshire as part of a national operation to crack down on county lines drug crime.

As part of National County Lines Intensification Week, Warwickshire Police also carried out safeguarding visits to people vulnerable to exploitation by drug dealers and visited schools.

During the week (which ran from 27 February-5 March), 14 people were arrested for a range of drug offences.

Thousands of pounds worth of class A and class B drugs were seized along with knives.

What is county lines?

County lines is where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another, often across police and local authority boundaries. This is usually done by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Read, head of Warwickshire Police Proactive CID, said: “We are working harder than ever to crack down on county lines drug gangs who bring nothing but violence and misery to our communities.

“We are working every day to tackle this problem and last week’s activity was just a snapshot of this.

“As well as targeting drug dealers it is also important to engage with vulnerable people who are often exploited by these gangs to ensure they are safeguarded and less vulnerable to exploitation.

“Our aim is to make Warwickshire as hostile as possible for these criminals to operate in and we remain committed to shutting down these lines and protecting vulnerable people.”

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