Police arrest 29 people and seize thousands of pounds worth of drugs in Warwickshire during County Lines crackdown

Police have arrested 29 people and seized thousands of pounds worth of drugs during a County Lines crackdown operation.

‘Operation Bracebridge’ was the Warwickshire policing response to a national County Lines Intensification Week - running from March 7 to 13 - which disrupted six County Lines in Warwickshire.

During the week all police forces in England and Wales engaged in operations to crackdown on drugs traffickers and safeguard children and vulnerable people caught up in their criminality.

Warwickshire’s response involved the collaboration of a complete cross-section of the force, partner agencies and charities, and achieved significant interference with County Line operations in the county.

This included:

• 10 searches of properties and five pre-planned drugs warrant executions

• More than 25 targeted stop and search of individuals

• 29 Arrests, the majority of who were adult men

• Four safeguarding referrals for children aged 15-18 years old and one adult referral

• £1,741.75 in cash from suspects in custody

• 255 wraps (43.4gms) of Crack/Cocaine and 98 wraps (18.4gms) of Heroin (estimated street value £379,00 and £4,900 respectively)

• Two separate makeshift Cannabis farms with a combined total of more than 900 plants (estimated street value of £379,000)

• 13 mobile phones linked to ‘line’ holders

• One S5 firearm (CS spray)

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Reader, Proactive CID, said: “County Lines is a priority area for Warwickshire Police and we are unified and resolute in our determination to tackle this form of organised criminality.

“The intensification week has been successful in causing significant disruption to lines operating in the county and in generating intelligence that will be used to protect our communities and bring offenders to justice.

“The technical abilities available to police, and knowledge that has been gathered, mean County Lines are no longer a low risk and high reward enterprise.

“We will continue with our proactive, robust and joined up approach to ensure that Warwickshire remains a hostile environment to these criminal gangs who inflict so much misery to individuals, families and communities through drug dealing, violence and exploitation.

“We cannot stop this criminality alone and we are grateful to our partners and the safeguarding groups and charities that are a vital tool in the fight against County Lines. Members of the public also play a critical role in spotting signs of exploitation and reporting them to the police.”

Anyone with information on suspected drug dealing or victims of exploitation should call Warwickshire Police on 101.

Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.