Police break up major county lines drug network

Officers carried out raids on addresses suspected of being used for drugs and the exploitation of vulnerable people

A county lines police drug operation resulted in 51 arrests and 35 individuals charged with more than 100 offences, a police force said.

Operation Hypernova, which took place last month, saw officers carry out more than 30 dawn raids across Cambridgeshire, including Cambridge, Peterborough, Ely and St Ives, as well as in Newmarket in Suffolk and in London.

Police said weeks of intelligence gathering on those bringing in class A drugs resulted in shutting down 50 active drug lines and seizing an estimated £55,000 of illegal drugs.

Several weapons were also seized, including knives and machetes, the force said.

Officers arrested several people following raids on several properties

A significant number of criminal assets - including £57,000 in cash, more than £8,000 in crypto currency and high-end designer watches and luxury trainers - were also recovered.

The operation also saw 28 individuals identified and protected from further exploitation, many of whom were vulnerable young people and adults being used by criminal gangs to transport and sell drugs.

Det Insp Dan Miller said: "This operation continues to focus on those people who come into our county and exploit vulnerable people, be they drug users or vulnerable children and encourage them into selling or using drugs.

"Once again, we have significantly disrupted organised criminal networks across the county who are profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable people and the misery caused by illegal drugs."

Now in its third year, Operation Hypernova has resulted in a total of 149 arrests, 134 drug lines closed as well as several jail sentences, police said.

Officers seized drugs, money and luxury goods and identified dozens of vulnerable young people