Over £300,000 worth of drugs have been removed from the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as part of a national week of intensification to tackle the drug supply and related high harm that brings violence and misery to communities, and exposes young people at risk to exploitation.
County Lines means to deal drugs using mobile phones, usually from large cities to towns and rural areas in the UK.
Line holders will use runners, often young and vulnerable children, to deliver the drugs. It’s linked to some of the most serious and violent crimes such as human trafficking, modern slavery, and child exploitation.
Throughout the week of action, which ran from Monday 25th November until Sunday 1st December, officers arrested 94 individuals who were either deemed to be ‘line holders’ or those who were responsible for supplying drugs on the line holders behalf.
The force-wide policing activity across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight yielded the following results in terms of drugs being removed from our streets:
- Cocaine – 2.99kg with a street value of £151,450
- Crack – 355g with a street value of £31,150
- Heroin – 19.5g with a street value of £2,415
- Cannabis – 11,584g with a street value of £115,840
Alongside this, as a result of numerous warrants being executed, stop searches being conducted and other intel-led activity the Constabulary has dismantled 14 county lines, seized £134,600 in cash and / or proceeds from criminal activity in relation to drug supply, seized 170 mobile phones and devices as well as confiscating 33 weapons including bladed weapons, a crossbow, a baton and a baseball bat.
Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy, Drug Related Crime and Harm Tactical Lead for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, said:
“We are not naïve to the fact that there are County Lines operating within our local communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and the challenges this brings around further tackling the exploitation of vulnerable, often young, people.
Article continues below this advertisement “The associated violence, which often comes part and parcel with organised County Lines, blights our communities and we are doing our utmost to successfully disrupt those main drug supply lines and bring those responsible to justice via the courts.
“We will not stand for it in our local cities, towns and villages.”
County Lines drug dealing networks often seek to criminally exploit children into becoming drugs runners for them; whether that be through emotional and physical manipulation, through to being sexually abused and forced to launder money and deal drugs.
Line holders will often send young vulnerable people to stay at the houses being cuckooed and distribute the drugs where it is more than likely against a backdrop of intimidation, threat and harm being imposed upon them should they not comply. The impact of this is that young people – who use the mobile phones to order more drugs, carried by other young people or vulnerable adults, travel by train or car – become indebted to gangs and groups and subsequently forced into labour and exploitation to pay off debts.
As part of the week of action, officers arrested 12 young people for drug-related offences – these have since been appropriately safeguarded against future threat and harm. While three other children were also safeguarded separately as part of wider enquiries.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary need the public’s help. If you recognise anything suspicious or looks out of place, perhaps it doesn’t feel right, please don’t just ignore it. You can raise your concerns with police by calling 101 or by making a report via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website.
Advice and support:
- Crimestoppers – An independent charity, which offers a range of advice and support. Crimes can be reported completely anonymously on 0800 555 111.
- Missing People’s SafeCall – a confidential and anonymous helpline and support service for young people and family members in England and Wales that are affected by county lines and criminal exploitation. The service also provides confidential support and advice for professionals in relation to their work with an exploited young person or family. Call or text 116000 for free, 09:00 to 23:00, 7 days a week.
- Barnardo’s Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service – provides an independent source of advice and advocacy for children who have been trafficked and somebody who can speak up on their behalf.
- NSPCC – provides advice on how to spot the signs and report child exploitation and involvement in gangs.
- The Children’s Society – a national charity, which aims to protect and support young people from a range of issues, including child exploitation, criminal gangs and violence.
If you have any information or are concerned about someone then you should call the police on 101 to make a report or 999 if there is an immediate risk. If on a train text British Transport Police on 61016.
This has to be done and all power to the Police for organising and actioning it, but let’s not pretend that is more than the tip of the iceberg.
Well done to the police, we need to make our
Roads a safe place for everyone.
Well done to all of the police involved, a magnificent effort. Now with Christmas nearly upon us, the works Christmas parties will be on the up along with the usual planks who think it is alright to get behind the wheel and possibly maim or kill someone because they were too lazy to call a taxi. Go and get them and remove them from the roads and crush their cars with a heavy fine.