Basingstoke ObserverHAMPSHIRE seized over £78,000 of Class A drugs as it tackled county line drug dealers during a national week of action.
The countrywide initiative saw over 1,400 arrested and 671 vulnerable people safeguarded across England and Wales.
National county lines intensification week, which targets drug traffickers who often recruit children and vulnerable adults to supply drugs across the country, ran from Monday, 7th to Sunday, 13th March.
Hampshire Constabulary joined all other police forces in England and Wales engaged in operations to crackdown on county lines.
Highlights from Hampshire Constabulary’s contributing activity were: 12 warrants executed; 31 arrested - 30 men (six were aged under 18) and one female; 43 mobile phones seized; £13,575 cash seized; £78,480 of drugs seized; £47,120 crack cocaine seized; £1,190 heroin seized; £24,800 powder cocaine seized; 48 education visits carried out including 10 taxi firms; 134 cuckooed addresses visited; 5 landlord visits; 34 vulnerable individuals safeguarded, including four children.
A vital reason to tackle county lines is the safeguarding of young children and vulnerable adults, often groomed to run drugs from one city to other parts of the country. Grooming is often followed by extreme violence and coercive behaviour.
During the past week, 671 were actively safeguarded nationally; 34 of these vulnerable individuals including four children, were identified and safeguarded by Hampshire Constabulary and their partners. In Hampshire, in the last five months alone, 39 children have been identified as being concerned in county lines activity both in and outside the Force area.
Police work with relevant services, agencies and charities to help safeguard children and vulnerable adults, and use a variety of options available to them, including Rescue and Response referrals, strategy meetings, safety plans created and Modern Slavery Crime reports.
Police can also bring victimless prosecutions for modern slavery offences, just one of the many ways officers are protecting young people. Victimless prosecutions ensure children and vulnerable adults are spared the ordeal of having to go through the court process to give evidence and face the violent and abusive individual responsible for their suffering.
