County lines: Police smash nearly 30 London-based drug operations and ‘rescue’ 240 vulnerable people

One of the weapons seized by police during the operation
Met Police
John Dunne @jhdunne27 May 2021
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Police have smashed 27 county lines drug operations based in London and made 190 arrests in a week-long crackdown.

In the London crackdown four guns and ammunition were also seized as well as 17 knives, an axe and CS spray.

They also found £126,000 in cash and a horde of £80,000 of luxury watches considered as criminal assets from those working on the lines.

Officers seized the devices being used to operate the drug dealing service and closed them down.

Some of those arrested were intercepted on trips to deliver drugs outside the capital. Police seized 8kg of class A drugs including heroin and 11kg of class B drugs including 199 cannabis plants.

The gangs recruit children and vulnerable people as cogs in their drug-dealing set-ups.

Officers uncovered £126,000 in cash during the raids
Met Police

Under the police operation 240 of those were identified and referred for help to the authorities. In one bust several arrests were made in Surrey after the county line led detectives to a south London gang involved in multiple criminal operations.

The Met’s Operation Orochi team led the raids in London as part of a countrywide crackdown, from May 17 to 23, which saw more than 1,000 people arrested and 292 weapons seized.

Detective Inspector Ant Jones told the Standard: “I would warn those in county lines operations that we will be knocking on your door soon. Gone are the days of low risk high reward, we are coming for you.”

Officers also made 13 referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which assesses individuals as potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty said: “I am incredibly proud of the results of this intensification week, achieved by the Met’s dedicated, hardworking officers.

“We have taken dozens of organised, violent criminals off the streets of London and closed almost 30 county lines.

“However, most important to me is the fact we have protected 249 children and vulnerable adults who were exploited by these gangs.

“I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to the hundreds of officers involved in making the week a resounding success.

“Results like this do not just happen overnight, they are down to months and months of meticulous planning and hard work by officers in every borough in London.”

Anyone with information on county lines or other crimes is asked to call police on 101.

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