County Lines warrants, Plymouth
Fifty Devon & Cornwall Police officers conducted seven warrants at addresses across Plymouth yesterday, Thursday, 25 February, as part of the ongoing crackdown on County Lines drugs supply into the South West.
A total of 14 men were arrested following the warrants, which also took place in Merseyside and Morecombe, and a significant amount of class A and B drugs, and cash was seized.
The warrants formed part of a wider investigation into County Lines drug supply between Merseyside and areas of Morecambe, Plymouth and Torquay, in a joint operation led by Merseyside Police.
Yesterday’s extensive operation follows warrants in Merseyside and Eastbourne in January, as well as activity between April and November 2020, during which firearms, cash and class A drugs were recovered from addresses in Kirkby, Liverpool and Morecambe. Yesterday’s arrests were:
• A 41-year-old man from Plymouth, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs • A 32-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to possess firearms and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 39-year-old man from Kirkby, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 41-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 21-year-old man from Kirkby, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 19-year-old woman from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 48-year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 44-year-old woman from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 53-year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 38 -year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 33-year-old woman from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 48-year-old woman from Wilmslow, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 44-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
· A 38-year-old man from Bolton, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
Detective Inspector Mark Drew, from Merseyside Police, said: “Yesterday’s co-ordinated warrants follow a lengthy an extensive investigation into the possession of firearms and County Lines drug supply across the UK.
“Working closely with Lancashire Police and Devon & Cornwall Police, we have seen a significant amount of arrests and seizures including suspected class A drugs, cash and cannabis as a result of the morning’s activity.
“County Lines is when criminal gangs from big cities across the UK use violence and intimidation to expand their drug network within their region, and into suburban areas, such as market and coastal towns across the country. This can often involve exploiting young people and vulnerable adults to move, sell and store the drugs.
“Working with partner agencies and other forces is crucial in disrupting criminality across the country, and we will continue to carry out joint activity such as todays warrants to target those who blight our communities, far and wide, with serious and organised crime.
“Information from the public is also a vital part in identifying these individuals and putting them before the courts, and we cannot do this without the assistance of our communities.
“If you have information on the supply of drugs or use or storage of weapons, please get in touch so we can take action. I would also like to encourage people to become familiar with the signs that someone may be being exploited and report this to us, so that we can offer them help and protection when they may not be able to see a way out.”
Anyone with any information on the storage of weapons or use of drugs, is asked to contact officers on 101 or via email at 101@dc.police.uk.
Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.
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