More than £50k of drugs seized and 35 arrests made in Staffordshire police county lines crackdown

More than £50,000-worth of drugs and a handgun have been seized during a week-long crackdown into county lines crime activity in Staffordshire.

Running from Monday, March 2 to Sunday, March 8, Staffordshire Police joined forces with teams across the UK to carry out an intensive crackdown on county lines crime.

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In Staffordshire, officers recovered a total of 540 deals of crack, 364 deals of heroin, one kilogramme of ketamine, and 28 grammes of monkey dust, while also seizing five drug line phones. 

In addition, £31,461 in cash was recovered, along with six weapons, including a handgun, two machetes and a lock-knife.

Sixteen addresses were also visited that were marked as being potential 'cuckooing' locations, which sees gangs take over the home of a vulnerable person to use as a base for their operations. 

As well as arrests and drug and weapons seizures, officers also helped to deliver educational sessions with children and adults across the country, including doing 'leaflet drops' to help people spot the signs of exploitation.

Superintendent Victoria Downing, head of major and organised crime at Staffordshire Police, said: "Our dedicated proactive teams across the north and south of the county continue to relentlessly pursue and disrupt the organised crime groups behind county lines activity. 

"During our week of action, we removed a significant amount of illegal drugs and several weapons from the streets of Staffordshire, including machetes. 

"The impact our activity is having on county lines is proven to reduce knife-related violence."

County lines typically exploit vulnerable people (including children) to transport, store, or sell drugs. They are run by 'line holders' who are often linked to organised crime gangs (OCGs) and runners, usually children and young people who deliver the drugs.

Ms Downing added: "Recent government statistics will suggest there has been a 25 per cent drop in hospital admissions for knife stabbings in the areas where large quantities of Class A drugs originate. 

"Our proactive policing directly enhances the safety of our communities and protects young people from harm. 

"We will continue to be relentless and unapologetic in targeting criminals who seek to exploit our vulnerable and our children."