Police make 40 arrests in Lancashire and Merseyside county lines crackdown

Officers across Lancashire and Merseyside took part in the crackdown

Forty people have been arrested as part of a police crackdown on drug dealing across county lines.

During three days of action officers from Lancashire and Merseyside worked across the Fylde coast targeting gangs.

The arrests were for offences including possession with intent to supply, money laundering, drug-driving and possession of weapons.

Officers also identified vulnerable people who were being exploited by drugs gangs and gave them support.

Some of the arrests from the three days included:

• A 20-year-old man arrested for money laundering after his passenger dropped a bag with over £10,000 in it, before running away from police

• A 54-year-old man from Blackpool arrested for possession with intent to supply Class B drugs with a value of over £7,000 after his car was stopped

• Two men in their early 20s from Leeds and Manchester were arrested in Blackpool after they were identified as being runners for a gang in Leeds

• A 62-year-old man from Fleetwood was arrested after officers found amphetamine hidden in his vehicle

Det Insp Kathryn Riley said: "We want to hit criminals hard but also make sure young and vulnerable people who have been criminally exploited are treated sensitively and with understanding.

"Working cross border with other police forces is key in disrupting and dismantling county lines and putting offenders behind bars."