Met officers arrested almost 300 people and seized 27kg worth of suspected drugs during a week of intensified action focused on county line drug dealing.
Officers from the Met were leading the way as part of a national ‘County Lines Intensification Week’ from 4-10 March. County lines is a drug supply model that traffics drugs out of cities and into smaller towns and rural areas, exploiting young and vulnerable people that are often threatened with violence and intimidation to carry out the criminality.
The Met uses a precise and data-led approach to pursue the ‘line holders’ who control where the drugs are distributed and take advantage of vulnerable people to transport and sell drugs on their behalf. This approach allows the Met to intervene and safeguard children from county lines that are being coerced to move the drugs and placed at significant risk.
Detective Superintended Kirsty Mead, who leads the Met’s response to county lines, said: “County lines is much more than drug dealing. It causes real, visible misery to young people and vulnerable adults, and completely destroys communities.
“Officers and partners – such as Catch22, Rescue and Response, The Children’s Society, Transport for London, local authorities, and the transport and health sectors – pulled together to achieve these results and worked hard to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society while also removing harmful offenders from our streets.
“The Met is committed to tackling county lines and our efforts remain ongoing day in, day out, and the week of intensification is only an extension of that work. However, we cannot do this alone. By working closely with parents, schools, local authorities, the Government, the transport and the health sectors, we can bring everyone together and dismantle this devastating distribution model, making London safer for everyone.”
Working together with The Children’s Society, a long-standing charity partner, the Met is highlighting its #LookCloser campaign to raise awareness of the signs of child exploitation and information for the public on how to report any suspicions to the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Officers are also working closely with Transport for London, taxi and major private hire operators to directly engage with licensed drivers in London to share prevention advice on child exploitation and how it can be reported. Taxis and private hire vehicles are sometimes used to transport young people for the purpose of county line exploitation. If drivers are concerned about young people being involved in county lines, they should contact the police.
James Simmonds-Read, Prevention National Programme Manager at The Children’s Society, said: “We have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service to keep children safe during just this week of action, and throughout the year.
“This week’s focus shines a spotlight on child exploitation and addresses the myth that these children aren’t victims or don’t need our help. They are victims of child exploitation and we must make sure this is recognised and they get the right support.
“Our #LookCloser campaign makes clear child abuse doesn’t care what a child’s background is or what their postcode is. Every child could be at risk. It’s all our responsibility – from police, social workers, taxi and private hire drivers, shop workers, hotel staff, and people using trains and buses — to look out for children being exploited and take action. We’re urging everyone to join us in this fight, to make sure no child slips through the net.”
The Met worked with several forces across the country resulting in:
- 210 vulnerable people safeguarded
- 95 county lines shut down
- 294 arrests made
- 141 people charged for a total of 341 charges
- 11kg of Class A drugs seized
- 16.2kg of Class B drugs seized
- Nine firearms including glocks, revolvers and a handgun – and six imitation firearms seized
- 75 weapons including zombie knives, machetes and swords seized
- £452,554 in cash seized
- 14 vehicles seized
If you are concerned about drug-related crime in your area or think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call us on 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.
If you would like to provide information anonymously, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org. Young people can give information 100% anonymously by contacting the charity Fearless at www.fearless.org.
No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers or Fearless.
For more information on county lines and how to prevent yourself or a loved one from becoming a victim, visit www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines.
For more information about The Children Society’s Look Closer campaign visit www.childrenssociety.org.uk/lookcloser
