North Yorkshire: Drugs seized and 26 arrested in county lines crackdown

Weapons, drugs and more than £70,000 in cash was seized as part of a week-long crackdown, police said

Twenty-six people have been arrested in a police operation targeting county lines gangs in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police also seized large quantities of drugs and more than £70,000 in cash during a week-long operation between 9 and 15 October.

Weapons including two machetes, three samurai swords, two knuckledusters and a pistol were also seized.

The arrests took place in Scarborough, Whitby, Harrogate and York, a police spokesperson said.

County lines is the term used to describe drug-dealing networks connecting urban and rural areas, using phone lines, across the UK.

Those running the networks often exploit children or vulnerable people to deal drugs, including using a practice known as "cuckooing" to take over a person's home as a base to sell drugs.

Across the region, police made 26 arrests

The force said officers executed 14 warrants during the week-long operation, which was coordinated by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC).

Five warrants were executed in one day in the Scarborough area.

In one, about a £100,000 worth of Class A and B drugs and £30,000 in cash was recovered from a vehicle that was linked to one of the addresses, police said.

'Working tirelessly'

Across the region, police made 26 arrests. Those held were aged between 16 and 61, with three men later charged with drugs offences.

Officers also safeguarded 73 people, who were known or suspected as being vulnerable to exploitation, the force said.

Det Ch Insp Andrew Simpson, who led the operation, said they were "working tirelessly" to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs and protect the young and vulnerable in communities.

"It's important to stress that this is just one week's activity, and this type of disruption and safeguarding is taking place in communities across North Yorkshire all year round," he said.

Police also held engagement events to help raise awareness of the issue and delivered talks in schools in partnership with children's author Christina Gabbitas.

She has written a book titled 'Trapped in County Lines', which aims to educate children and young people about the dangers of becoming involved.

"Children and young people can sadly be victims of exploitation from organised crime groups. County lines is a harsh reality of life, and in my opinion shouldn't be sugar-coated," she said.