CRIMINALS across Warwickshire are more than £1million out of pocket following a week-long police crackdown on county lines drug dealing.
During County Lines Intensification Week – a national initiative to tackle serious violent crime and the exploitation of vulnerable people – officers in the county seized more than 2,300 cannabis plants with a street value of more than £1.1million, £2,500 in cash, and more than £30,000 worth of cocaine.
They also arrested 23 people on suspicion of a range of drug related offences.
In Rugby, officers seized more than £30k worth of cocaine after stopping a car in York Street. A man was arrested and charged.
In the south of the county, four drug warrants were executed, 451 cannabis plants seized, and eight people arrested on suspicion of drug offences.
In Exhall, over 1,800 cannabis plants were seized with a street value of more than £1million after officers raided an industrial unit. Four men were arrested and charged.
County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups from large cities use vulnerable young people to move drugs into smaller towns and rural areas.
Det Ch Insp Rich Brown from the Warwickshire Police Prevent Team said: “County lines drug gangs continue to exploit vulnerable people in our communities. Last week’s activity was about disrupting their activity and reducing the opportunities for criminals to profit from the exploitation of others.
“As well as taking enforcement action we visited vulnerable people to ensure measures were in place to protect them from exploitation.
“We also gathered a lot of intelligence that will help us continue to disrupt the activity of county lines gangs.”
Concerns about county lines drug gangs and exploitation can be reported to Warwickshire Police at www.warwickshire.police.uk/report or by calling 101. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
