Drugs worth £300k seized in county lines crackdown

Cannabis was seized from Totton

More than £300,000 worth of drugs have been seized by police across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in one week.

Between 25 November and 1 December, officers arrested 94 individuals who were deemed to be involved in county lines activities, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

County lines is where people deal drugs using mobile phones, usually from large cities to towns and rural areas in the UK.

Twelve young people were also arrested for drug-related offences and three children safeguarded separately as part of the force's wider inquiries.

Officers also dismantled 14 county lines, seized £134,600 in cash and/or proceeds from criminal activity in relation to drug supply, seized 170 mobile phones and devices, as well as confiscated 33 weapons, including blades, a crossbow, a baton and a baseball bat.

Professional criminals target the homes of vulnerable - often young -people to be used for drug-dealing - a process known as cuckooing.

Drugs removed from the streets

• Cocaine – 2.99kg (6.59lbs) with a street value of £151,450

• Crack – 355g with a street value of £31,150

• Heroin – 19.5g with a street value of £2,415

• Cannabis – 11.58kg (2.6lbs) with a street value of £115,840

Source: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

Drugs were found in Southsea, Portsmouth

Ch Insp Marcus Kennedy, drug related crime and harm tactical lead for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “We are not naive to the fact that there are county lines operating within our local communities...

“The associated violence, which often comes part and parcel with organised county lines, blights our communities and we are doing our utmost to successfully disrupt those main drug supply lines and bring those responsible to justice, via the courts.

“We will not stand for it."