52 people arrested as local county lines groups dismantled

During the national week of action, which ran from Monday 3th October to Sunday 9th October, officers also;

• Arrested 52 people

• Executed 30 search warrants

• Safeguarded 43 vulnerable children/adults

• Presented a county lines online workshop to 6,834 children and 337 professionals who work with young people

• Ran 2 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations stopping 20 vehicles and arresting 6 people

• Seized £16,000 in cash

• Visited 10 people known to the police to carry knives

• Recovered significant quantities of drugs including 346 wraps of Crack, a further £12,000 of Crack and 258 Cannabis plants

• 10 weapons were recovered including a crossbow, a machete and a samurai sword

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski from the Force Intelligence Bureau said: “To execute thirty search warrants across the force area when we have had so many competing demands recently is a testament to the dedication, hard work and professionalism of our staff and officers across many teams and partner organisations.

“The force has faced unprecedented demands on its resources from the patrols in East Leicester following the recent disorder; the football match between Leicester City Football Club and Nottingham Forest; the beginning of the Diwali celebrations and a large fire at a nightclub in Leicester but despite that the planning, coordination and enforcement continued and was delivered.

“County Lines Intensification Week is over but our work is not. We will continue to listen to our communities, gather intelligence, protect and safeguard the vulnerable and bring offenders to justice.  My thanks go to everyone involved in making Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland a safer place to live.”  

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups from cities exploit young people from smaller towns and rural areas into moving and supplying drugs.

To find out more about county lines visit: www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/

There is also a new website specifically for young people to get help and advice on how to stay safe in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Making our community a safe place to live - LiveSafe