Crimestoppers joins all South West police forces in crackdown on drugs
All five forces in the region are involved in Operation Scorpion
For the first time, Crimestoppers is working with all five police forces across the South West, in a campaign to disrupt and stop County Lines drug gangs.
The charity is working with Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, and Devon and Cornwall forces in the weeklong campaign to highlight the harm and exploitation of drug networks.
They are encouraging local people to report any drug-related issues and concerns completely anonymously in a bid to make the South West 'No place for Drugs'.
The charity says criminals often recruit children and vulnerable adults through the promise of friendship, money, drugs and more, in return for couriering illegal drugs and money across cities, towns and villages, known as ‘County Lines’.
Sadly, these relationships soon turn violent with victims being robbed, threatened or injured.
This crackdown is the second stage of 'Operation Scorpion', phase one of which led to almost 200 hundred arrests and the recovery of £400,000 worth of drugs.
Emily van der Lely, Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: "Anyone can get recruited and caught up in this, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. The 'No place for Drugs' campaign will remind people that we can all play a part in looking out for and reporting signs of harmful drug activity in our neighbourhoods. If you recognise any of the signs mentioned, do contact Crimestoppers.
"Even if someone isn’t involved in drug dealing, they may be being exploited in some other way. Report what you know 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers. We don't want to know who you are, just what you know.
"Information to tell our charity includes: names and/or nicknames; descriptions of those involved and any distinguishing features such as tattoos; addresses, transport used, i.e., a car - a car's make, model and registration".
Emily added: "This is the first South West-wide campaign that Crimestoppers is running with police and we anticipate it becoming a regular activity, to build confidence and awareness within our communities and to encourage those with information to come forward completely anonymously to our charity".
What are the signs to watch out for?
Crimestoppers says anybody can get caught up in illegal, harmful drug activity and signs to spot that something may not be right include:
Changes in the way young people you know might dress and unexplained,
Sometimes unaffordable, new clothes, jewellery, phones, cars etc
Access to multiple phones/receiving excess phone calls or texts
You witness them dealing drugs.
Crimestoppers says criminals can take over a home or short term let as a drugs base; this is known as ‘cuckooing’. Signs of this can include:
Regular short stay visitors
Residents or young people going missing, maybe for long periods of time
Curtains often always closed during the day
A change of resident's mood/demeanour (e.g. secretive/withdrawn/aggressive/emotional)
Unusual frequency of takeaway food
Increase in rubbish/drug paraphernalia.
How can I access help?
'No place for Drugs’ is reminding people that regardless of whether you use drugs recreationally from time to time, buying illegal drugs fuels the exploitation of vulnerable people and can have serious criminal consequences in the local area.
Any suspicions about organised drug crime and concerns about victims can be reported to Crimestoppers 100% anonymously by calling freephone 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.
Alternatively the charity runs Fearless.org for young people, where more can be learnt about the warning signs of County Lines activity.