Seeing the battle against county lines first hand as police raid West Bromwich home
A quiet street became the scene of a dramatic morning raid as the work against county lines drug trafficking continues.
Officers from West Midlands Police descended on an address in West Bromwich to act on a warrant to search a property of a man suspected of a number of drug offences.
The raid was part of County Lines Intensification Week, co-ordinated action to tackle the criminal exploitation of gangs and organised crime networks exploiting children to sell drugs through travelling to different counties and using dedicated mobile phone lines.
The Express & Star was invited to follow the progress of one raid at a property in West Bromwich, where officers battered down the door of a house before taking a man into a van for questioning. It was just one part of a series of operations in which those who control the county lines drug gangs were targeted.
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West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said the aim of the operation was to protect young people from exploitation and tackle the drug barons responsible.
He said “I am committed to protecting vulnerable people who are being ruthlessly exploited and the Violence Reduction Unit are working tirelessly to keep young people safe.
“I joined one of the West Midlands Police gang’s teams last week to understand more about the work they are doing with partners in local authorities to protect and safeguard young people who may be, or have been, drawn into county lines.
“Our children should be seen as children first and foremost and should be able to grow up feeling safe and cared for.”
A notable warrant came in Wensleydale Road in Birmingham, where £5,000 in cash, several ‘burner’ phones, and a ball of suspected crack cocaine worth £5,000 was seized.
A police drone spotted a man running into the rear garden and he was quickly arrested on suspicion of drugs supply. The 32-year-old was believed to be involved in a county line running between Birmingham and Worcester and has been released under investigation while the phones and suspected drugs are examined.
As part of the week of action, the force ran automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) operations looking for people moving drugs by road and worked with British Transport Police to identify any drugs runners using the rail system.
During an operation at Sutton Coldfield train station, 20 wraps of suspected class A drugs were seized from a 17-year-old who tried avoiding the metal detecting knife arches. The teenager been released under investigation while the substance seized is tested.
In addition to enforcement activity, The force has also reached out to children across the region to raise awareness of the dangers of being lured into county lines drug dealing.
County lines lead, Superintendent Wendy Bailey, said: “We ran more than 120 county lines awareness and education sessions at schools, plus we visited more than 130 children who are believed to be at risk of exploitation.
“We’ve had cases in the past of children being lured into it with promises of easy money and designer clothes, but the reality was being holed up in a drugs den miles from home, in awful conditions, and being forced to carry out street deals.
“It’s a very dangerous environment for anyone, let alone a child.
“Last week was a focused operation on county lines but it’s a problem we’re tackling every day of the week.
“We have a dedicated county lines taskforce and are regularly closing down and disrupting lines and securing long jail terms against offenders.”
A team of 13 officers were involved in the raid in West Bromwich, which took place following an early-morning briefing by Sgt Paul Bishop of West Midlands Police. They travelled to the address, on a terraced street, in an unmarked car and a police van.
A search of the property lasted 30 minutes and revealed a small amount of cannabis and evidence of mixing equipment in the bedroom, including baking powder.
Officers also discovered four mobile phones in the property, with three buried in the back garden area, which will be taken to be analysed and checked for coded messages and language designed to disguise messages that could potentially be sent between those operating the county line gangs and those delivering drugs.
