That’s a Wrap! Successful County Lines Operation Ends

Published on: 8 Dec, 2024
Updated on: 10 Dec, 2024

Surrey Police’s “County Lines Intensification Week” has come to an end and they are saying there’s lots to shout about.

“County Lines” is defined as a gang or organised criminal network involved in moving illegal drugs into other locations, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of deal line. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to transport and store drugs and money, and will often use coercion, intimidation violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.

Across the week, spanning November 25 to December 1, teams across the force were out and about cracking down on drug related crime, but what exactly is County Lines?

Disrupting those involved in this type of criminality is, Surrey Police say, more important than ever. Throughout that week, officers were out and about carrying out engagement activity to educate the public including: visiting 13 hotels, attending 6 locations alongside Crimestoppers and their ad van, visiting seven schools, speaking with over 200 students, and interacting with young people.

There was also plenty of proactive activity which resulted in:

9 warrants
18 arrests
3 charges
100 stop searches
11 vehicle stops
152 wraps of cocaine seized
17 cuckooed (where drug dealers take control of someone’s home) properties visited
16 phones seized including 2 which related to deal lines
£6,385 seized
55 bladed articles, 4 firearms and 1 taser seized

Police regard theses results as phenomenal and say they showcase the hard work that goes on to tackle County Lines across the county.

A police spokesperson said: “Whilst this week of action was very important, our efforts are not restricted to one week, and the crucial work we do to protect the community continues all year round. We have a dedicated team called Centurion who tackle County Lines across Surrey Police and Sussex Police.”

Chief Inspector Nolan Heather added: ”County Lines gangs prey on the most vulnerable members of our community for their own benefit. The results from last week demonstrate that we are committed to disrupting County Lines operations.

“Our top priority is to ensure the public’s safety, and to protect the victims of these crimes, and work will continue to tackle this issue. Information provided by the public is crucial in our efforts to combat drug dealing and associated activities. Any piece of information, no matter how small, can help us build a comprehensive picture and could be the key to dismantling a county line.”

You can report anything you’re concerned about via live chat or the online reporting form on the Surrey police website. If you don’t want to speak to police you can call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always call 999.