In the know

Another successful County Lines Intensification Week has come to an end, and there’s lots to shout about.

Across the week, spanning 25 November to 1 December, teams across the Force were out and about cracking down on drug related crime, but what exactly is County Lines?

County Lines is defined as a gang or organised criminal network involved in moving illegal drugs into other locations, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of deal line.  They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to transport and store drugs and money, and will often use coercion, intimidation violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

Disrupting those involved in this type of criminality is more important than ever. Throughout the week, officers were out and about carrying out engagement activity to educate the public including: visiting 13 hotels, attending 6 locations alongside Crimestoppers and their ad van, visiting 7 schools, speaking with over 200 students, and interacting with young people who visited our gaming vans.

There was also plenty of proactive activity which resulted in:

9 warrants
18 arrests
3 charges
100 stop searches
11 vehicle stops
152 wraps of cocaine seized
17 cuckooed (where drug dealers take control of someone’s home) properties visited
16 phones seized including 2 which related to deal lines
£6385 seized
55 bladed articles, 4 firearms and 1 taser seized

These results are phenomenal and showcase the hard work that goes on to tackle County Lines across the county.

Whilst this week of action was very important, our efforts are not restricted to one week, and the crucial work we do to protect the community continues all year round. We have a dedicated team called Centurion who tackle County Lines across Surrey Police and Sussex Police. Centurion was formed in September 2020 and is a small but mighty team who crack down on what we know is a problem across both counties.

The Children’s Society have provided some very helpful information on the signs to spot if you are concerned that a child is being exploited. You can visit their website here: What happens after reporting child exploitation? | The Children's Society
 

Ivison offer online learning courses for parents, carers and professionals to find out more about how children are groomed and criminally exploited. You can visit their website here: Online Learning - Ivison Trust

Chief Inspector Nolan Heather said: ''County Lines gangs prey on the most vulnerable members of our community for their own benefit. The results from last week demonstrate that we are committed to disrupting County Lines operations. Our top priority is to ensure the public's safety, and to protect the victims of these crimes, and work will continue to tackle this issue. Information provided by the public is crucial in our efforts to combat drug dealing and associated activities. Any piece of information, no matter how small, can help us build a comprehensive picture and could be the key to dismantling a county line.''

You can report anything you’re concerned about via live chat or the online reporting form on our website. If you don't want to speak to police you can call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always call 999.