“COUNTY lines criminality causes serious harm and has spiralling detrimental effects on our communities.”

That’s the message from one of the South East’s top police officers after almost a tonne of cannabis, more than 1,000 wraps of cocaine a diamond neckled were seized in a week of action.

The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit carried out extensive enforcement activity from March 7 to March 13 in order to clamp down on county lines drug dealers.

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This included:

  • Arresting 162 people
  • Identifying 102 people
  • Seizing more than £130,000 in cash
  • Visiting 264 cuckooed addresses (where drug dealers use the homes of vulnerable people as a base)
  • Seizing 1,564 wraps of crack cocaine and 285 wraps of cocaine
  • Seizing 1,507 wraps of heroin
  • Seizing 908kg of herbal cannabis and 6.5kg of cannabis resin.

A number of knives, batons, machetes, imitation firearms and an electronic baton were also recovered by SEROCU.

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Designer clothing and goods, a diamond necklace, laptops, various expensive vehicles, bikes and watches were among some of the other items taken in.

Detective Inspector Lee Newman, SEROCU’s County Lines Regional Co-ordinator, said: “County lines criminality causes serious harm and has spiralling detrimental effects on our communities, putting the most vulnerable in society at risk from exploitation and significant harm.

“Within SEROCU and the National County Lines Co-ordination centre (NCLCC), we are committed to tackling the threats posed by County Lines to make the south east a safer place.

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“We cannot tackle this alone therefore collaborative partnership working is key, not only to support this week of action in identifying and disrupting the serious offenders who are causing the most harm in our communities, but also by protecting those at risk.

“Our work extends far beyond weeks of action and our commitment to tackling these issues continues relentlessly.

“This period of activity acts as a reminder that we are making a real difference by taking large amounts of drugs out of our communities and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.”