95 arrested and £47k seized as South West Forces target drug crime
Wiltshire Police were involved as part of Operation Scorpion
9\5 arrests have been made and almost £50,000 in cash seized by Police across the South West as part of a joint effort to clamp down on county lines and child criminal exploitation.
As part of Operation Scorpion, Wiltshire Police worked with neighbouring Forces in the region during a week of intense national activity targeting drug dealing and related criminal activity.
In total across the region:
• 95 people were arrested
• £47,863 cash was seized
• 37kg of cannabis, plus 564 cannabis plants, was seized
• 3.7kg of cocaine was seized
• 107 people were safeguarded, including 32 children
Wiltshire Police made:
• 21 arrests
• £11,625 cash seized
• 25.4kg of cannabis seized
• 12 people safeguarded, including 1 child
The week of activity took place from 25th November to 1st December, with a key focus on child criminal exploitation (CCE).
This is where criminals groom and exploit young people into carrying out crimes on their behalf. This often involves drugs and county lines, as gangs use children and vulnerable people to sell drugs and move monies.
Officers worked alongside partners to be active in the community, speaking to schools, hosting educational stalls in busy areas and carrying out cuckooing checks for vulnerable adults and children.
A number of warrants across the south west region were also executed, resulting in tens of thousands of pounds being seized, as well as Class A and Class B drugs taken off the streets.
Speaking on behalf of the five regional police forces, Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper said:
“Operation Scorpion is about combining the resources, intelligence and enforcement powers of all the police forces across the South West to create the most difficult environment for those intent on dealing illegal drugs across our region.
“The results from the latest week's regional activity of arrests and drugs seizures show that we continue to be effective in disrupting the illegal drugs trade – dismantling organised criminal gangs, removing illegal substances from our neighbourhoods and arresting those who deal them.
"We must also remember the on-going work by police and our partners to protect and support vulnerable people - often children and young adults - who are coerced to join these criminal networks. Bribed with gifts and money, once recruited, these victims are usually threatened with or are victim to violence, forcing them to remain in these criminal gangs.
"Safeguarding these vulnerable young people, along with protecting everyone in our communities, goes to the heart of the Wiltshire Police priority to create Safer Public Spaces for all.
"Our work doesn't stop at the end of this latest Operation Scorpion. We know that County Lines involving criminals who supply and distribute illegal drugs across our borders, creating complex networks of drugs lines around the region, will continue. However, in response, we will continue to take a strong and robust stance against exploitative criminality. Our message remains – the South West is no place for drugs.”