Arrests and seizures in West Mercia Police county lines operation

Police said they had shut down four county lines enterprises during their latest operation

Almost 70 people have been arrested and drugs with a value of more than £300,000 seized in a county lines operation in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Up to 46 people were safeguarded, four enterprises shut down and 27 weapons plus £16,000 in cash recovered, West Mercia Police said.

Officers worked with Merseyside, Staffordshire and West Midlands forces.

Ch Insp Ian Wall said teams had focused on safeguarding in particular.

In county lines criminal enterprises, gangs exploit children as drug runners between urban areas and smaller rural towns.

In November, the West Mercia force said the number of county lines drugs operations into Shropshire had been halved - but hundreds of children were still at risk of being exploited by gangs.

Then, in March last year, hundreds of people were arrested when the West Midlands, Staffordshire, West Mercia and Warwickshire forces worked on a joint operation and seized drugs with a street value of more than £1.5m.

After the latest operation, conducted between 9 and 15 October, Ch Insp Wall said he was satisfied with the results.

"We are obviously pleased that we have arrested 68 people involved in county lines drug dealing and that we have closed four lines and seized drugs to the value of £319,000," he said.

"But we have also placed a real focus on safeguarding those impacted by county lines drug-dealing. Whether that be young and vulnerable people being criminally exploited or those impacted by the wider damage caused by drugs in our communities."

The force area's police and crime commissioner (PCC) John Campion said investment for officers to keep tackling the criminal activity would continue.

"The achievements made during the county lines intensification week shine a spotlight on the dedicated serving officers across West Mercia," he said.