Police crackdown on County Lines across Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police has joined forces across the country during a nationwide week of action to tackle Child Criminal Exploitation.

Co-ordinated action took place between Monday 11 – Sunday 17 October 2021 to tackle offenders attempting to draw young and vulnerable victims into criminality.

Officers from all districts worked collectively throughout the week, and took part in the execution of 4 warrants in Trafford and Oldham, in addition to a range of work based on intel gathered. The proactive policing led to 5 arrests for the following offences:

• A 23-year-old man, 29-year-old man and a 41-year-old female were arrested for drugs offences and remain under investigation.

• A 20-year-old male was arrested for Human trafficking and drugs offences who has been released on bail.

• A 29-year-old male was arrested for the possession of Class B drugs and has been released under investigation

A range of other tactics were used throughout the week which led to a further 3 arrests carried out by North Wales, as a result of initial work carried out by GMP.

The targeted operation also led to the seizure of:

• 2 Rolex watches, valued at £15,000 each

• £5,000 cash

• Class B drugs

In addition to tackling those responsible for the exploitation of young and vulnerable victims, officers carried out a range of community engagement to educate local communities in how to spot the signs of exploitation, and how they can play their part in helping safeguard those who may be at risk.

This work included visits to local train stations, fast food venues, youth clubs, care homes and students.

A key sentencing also took place throughout the week of action, which saw five members of a serious and organised crime group that trafficked class A drugs between Greater Manchester and North Yorkshire have been jailed for a total of 25 years.

'This is child abuse - and I want to make that clear'

Inspector Jack Murphy from the Serious and Organised Crime division at GMP said: “We remain committed to tackling organised crime here in Greater Manchester, and I hope the results from this week send a strong message to those exploiting the most vulnerable members of our society to further their own criminal businesses.

“I also hope the work that has gone on across the week to engage with members of our local communities helps further our commitment to helping protect and safeguard young and vulnerable people who are used to transport drugs and be forced into other illegal activity – this is child abuse, and I want to make that message clear.

"I encourage members of the public to make themselves aware of the signs of child criminal exploitation. We rely on intel being submitted to help us drive our operations forwards, so it really is imperative that no matter how big or small, anyone with concerns should come forward.

"You could be the difference for a victim, and we all have a responsibility to protect young and vulnerable members of our communities, so it is important we all know what to look out for."