West Mercia Police seize drugs, cash, and cars during county lines crackdown

Continuing attempts to crack down on county lines operations, West Mercia Police seized drugs with an estimated street value of £603,240 and an additional £156,000 in cash between March 2021 and April 2022.

In the same time period, police seized 168 weapons, 42 vehicles, 417 devices and made 314 arrests in connection with drug related offences.

Detective chief inspector Ian Wall, from West Mercia Police’s Crime and Vulnerability department, said: “County lines gangs continue to blight all of our communities across West Mercia, where they prey on the young and people who are vulnerable.

“As a force we recognise it as a priority and the activity, and fantastic results, over the past 12 months shows the focus we place upon this type of crime.

“We will continue to treat it as a priority and be relentless in our efforts to arrest those responsible, put in place measures to protect our communities and safeguard those vulnerable to county lines offending.

“The efforts of our officers across West Mercia is aimed to ensure the region becomes a no go area for criminals travelling from elsewhere.

“We will continue to pursue and prosecute those who bring drugs into our counties, commit violence and exploit vulnerable members of our communities.”

168 weapons were seized by police in the last year

County lines drug dealers often exploit children and young people, recruiting them to run drugs between locations as well as deal.

Vulnerable adults can also be targeted, such as those dependent on drug use, with dealers taking over their property, a practice known as cuckoo-ing.

Vicki Ridgewell, one of the West Mercia’s exploitation and vulnerability trainers, said: “Education is key and working along with officers, we have visited schools, social care providers, health professionals and other important community groups to deliver exploitation and vulnerability training.

“During the sessions we provide them with information on what to look for and how members of they can spot the signs of criminal exploitation including cuckooing and home invasion, or used to deal drugs.

“Throughout the year we dedicate our time to delivering exploitation and vulnerability training to people across the three counties the force covers, which is made possible thanks to funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner.”

To date the exploitation and vulnerability trainers have delivered training to around 32,000 professionals, parents, volunteers and members of the public.

West Mercia have delivered exploitation and vulnerability training to more than 32,000 people