Eighteen arrested across Avon and Somerset during week of action against drugs
Avon and Somerset Police say they will not tolerate county lines dealing
Avon and Somerset Police have revealed they arrested 18 people last week (October 3-9) as part of a national crack down on county lines drugs gangs.
"National County Lines Intensification Week" as they call it, was led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
During the week we're told officers carried out extra patrols, welfare visits and intelligence gathering across the Avon and Somerset area.
As well as the 18 arrests Avon and Somerset Police say the week resulted in:
- 109 welfare visits "with people identified to be at risk from county lines offered help and advice"
- Four cuckooed addresses found, "and vulnerable householders safeguarded and supported"
- Thousands of pounds in cash, Class A and Class B drugs, firearms and weapons seized, including zombie knives, a machete, an axe and homemade offensive weapons
- 30 assets seized including phones and laptops linked to organised crime and county lines
On top of all that, officers say education sessions and workshops took place in schools and public places across the region, involving around 1,000 students, teachers, professionals and members of the public, shining a light on how county lines draw young and vulnerable people into criminal activity.
"Avon and Somerset Police is committed to tackling county lines perpetrators all year around, with a specialist team in place to build intelligence, conduct investigations and target those involved," a statement from the force reads.
"Since the last County Lines Intensification Week in March, this activity has resulted in 29 county lines being tackled, with 44 people arrested.
"Of these, 41 have subsequently been charged with 126 offences ranging from the supply of Class A Drugs (heroin and crack cocaine) to the acquisition/use or possession of criminal property.
"People identified during these investigations of being at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation have been safeguarded and victims of cuckooing have also been identified, supported, and protected."
Avon and Somerset Police lead for county lines, Detective Superintendent James Raphael, said: “County lines and organised criminal gangs inflict misery on our communities and cause harm to children, young people and our most vulnerable, whom they target and drag into a world of exploitation, danger, and fear.
“They will stop at nothing to profit from drug-dealing, with activities often linked to weapons, laundered money, and serious violence.
"We will not tolerate this in the communities we serve and will continue, way beyond this week of action, to disrupt and close lines down, bring those behind this criminality to justice and deliver a clear message that if you operate in Avon and Somerset we will find out, we will come after you and we won’t stop until we arrest you."
Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford added: “I am delighted with the work that has taken place to tackle county lines during Avon and Somerset Police’s intensification week.
"County lines exploits some of the most vulnerable in our communities, including children and young adults, and creates turmoil in our communities.
“My first Police and Crime Plan priority is preventing and fighting crime, and Avon and Somerset Police, partners and local authorities must continue to work together to disrupt and close lines down.
"This sends a clear message to organised criminals and those who cause harm in our neighbourhoods that there is no place for them in Avon and Somerset.”
County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs out of bigger cities into smaller UK towns and rural communities, often using dedicated mobile phone lines or other ‘deal lines’.
County line gangs recruit children, young people, and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money, often exposing them to a world of coercion, intimidation, violence, and weapons.
Dealers may also take over the home of a vulnerable person as a base for drug dealing, a situation commonly referred to as “cuckooing”.