Prime Minister joins Merseyside police in dawn raids
The Prime Minister joined Merseyside police this morning, as they carried out two warrants following an investigation into County lines drug dealing into Lancashire.
It happened in the Kirkdale and Anfield areas of Liverpool and two people were arrested.
It comes as Boris Johnson launched his 10-year strategy to tackle drugs in England and Wales.
Today's warrants were executed was part of the ongoing Project Medusa, a Merseyside-led initiative set up to tackle County Lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation, which has seen more than 1,300 people arrested and £1.4 million cash seized.
Those arrested include a 34-year-old woman from Anfield and a 27-year-old man from Norris Green. They will be taken to police stations on Merseyside where they will be questioned.
Detective Inspector Gary Stratton said: “Organised crime is hugely damaging to our communities, often involving intimidation, violence and creating fear and it is these criminals who run County Lines. Criminals involved in organised crime have no thought for anyone other than themselves, and their criminal intent and greed.
“Project Medusa is dedicated to cutting these County Lines dead and taking those who operate them off our streets and working with partners to help those who may be exploited by these gangs.”
Read more here about how to spot the signs of exploitation linked to drug dealing and the Eyes Open campaign, introduced by Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership:www.eyes-open.co.uk
More on the PM's pledge to crackdown on dealers and users...
Class A drugs are "bad for society", the Prime Minister has said, as he vowed to "come down hard" on the gangsters peddling unlawful narcotics as part of the Government's crackdown plan.
Speaking ahead of the unveiling of the Government's 10-year drugs strategy in England and Wales, Boris Johnson said the Government was "absolutely determined to fight drugs".
"I take the view that it is a long time really since you heard a government say that drugs - Class A drugs - are bad and bad for society, bad for opportunity, bad for kids growing up in this country," he told broadcasters in Merseyside.
"That's my view, and I think it is something we can tackle, something we can deal with."
The Home Office said there are 300,000 heroin and crack addicts in England who are responsible for nearly half of acquisitive crime, including burglary and robbery, while drugs drive nearly half of all homicides.
The total cost to society is put at nearly £20 billion a year.
Mr Johnson said he wanted to break the cycle of arresting culprits "time after time" and returning them to prison "again and again" for being involved in drug-related crime, by offering the "humane" option of rehabilitation.
The plan, due to be announced by policing minister Kit Malthouse in the Commons on Monday, will include what ministers say will be the biggest increase in investment and recovery in an attempt to end the cycle of addiction and repeat offending.
Ministers are set to announce a police clampdown to cut off the supply of class A drugs by city-based crime rings to the surrounding county areas - known as county lines operations.
Ministers are also considering cracking down on middle class cocaine users by taking away their passports.