Drugs, cash and weapons seized as regional special ops police target county lines gangs in raids on Northamptonshire addresses

Police arrested 65 people and seized cash and drugs worth more than £40,000 in a series of raids in Northamptonshire and the East Midlands.

Officers from a regional special ops unit took part in a week-long crackdown on county lines gangs.

They also uncovered 28 weapons and safeguarded 69 people identified as vulnerable during swoops in Derbyshire, Leicester, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

County lines is a term used to describe organised criminal networks involved in moving illegal drugs from one area of the country to another using dedicated mobile phone lines.

They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money, often using coercion, intimidation, violence and weapons.

Stuart Jones East Midlands Special Operations Unit regional vulnerabilities coordinator said: “We ensure police activity against county lines in the region is a coordinated approach, in a bid to get to the roots of these groups as well as identify and eradicate its invasive and destructive tendrils that creep across force and county boundaries.

“The results from this week are just a snapshot of the work we achieve throughout the year as five forces united against these types of criminals.”

Earlier this year, three county lines conspirators were sentenced to more than 14 years in prison after police busted a county lines operation selling drugs in Northampton.

Rickel Prince, from Watford, led the operation pushing crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis worth tens of thousands into the town and using University of Northampton student Kimberley Tran as a go-between.

Mr Jones added: “Gangs are being forced to adapt their methods as a result of police disruption, both in the movement of drugs and cash and in the recruitment of runners.

“They are tenacious and they are violent in their bid to make money, with absolutely no care as to who they hurt in the process.

"We also work with organisations such as British Transport Police on trains, CrimeStoppers and the Children’s Society to identify and safeguard victims.

“Hijacking a vulnerable person’s home, and forcing them to get involved in cooking or storing drugs, is servitude, using a young person to deliver drugs is people trafficking.

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“We will not hesitate to pursue charges under the Modern Slavery Act against such perpetrators, the maximum penalty for which is life imprisonment.”

Chief Constable Nick Adderley made tackling drug harm in the county one of his ‘matters of priority’ over the next three years.

Earlier this year, he said: “We have taken out seven heads of crime groups. Sometimes patience is a virtue – we will pick up intel. We have kicked down doors in London – speed is of the essence.

“The drug dealers should be sleeping with one eye open. We are going to double down.”

■ If you have information about drug dealing in your area, or if you’re concerned that someone you know may be involved in county lines, call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or contact CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.