More than 200 arrests in week-long crackdown on County Lines gangs

The operation, which ran from Monday February 27 to Sunday March 5, focused on those running County Lines in London who the MPS said “cause violence and anti-social behaviour in communities”.

The MPS made 222 arrests during the crackdown, with 105 people charged with a total of 223 charges, including 150 drug trafficking charges and 131 charges relating to Class A and B drug charges In addition, 177 vulnerable people were safeguarded and 77 lines closed.

Officers also seized 8.3kg of Class A drugs and 37.6kg Class B drugs, £652,214 in cash, five firearms and 51 weapons, including knives, machetes and swords.

The MPS said in several cases, vulnerable children were preyed on by offenders and “used as a commodity”, placing them into an “incredibly dangerous environment”.

“Instead of criminalising these children, officers work with Rescue and Response to ensure they are safeguarded and supported,” the force said.

Detective Superintendent Rick Sewart, MPS lead responsible officer for County Lines, said County Lines is “intrinsically linked to homicide and serious violence”.

He added that 80 per cent of County Lines offenders charged with drug trafficking this financial year have previously been arrested for violence.

“County Lines networks prey upon children and young people, trafficking them and subjecting them to modern slavery involving horrendous emotional and physical abuse,” said Det Supt Sewart.

“Victims are coerced through violence, blackmail and debt bondage, to hold and supply drugs.

“Those involved use weapons and serious violence including kidnaps to intimidate and threaten victims”

“County Lines networks also prey upon the vulnerable to fuel Class A drug addiction, which poses huge-socio economic consequences for communities; increasing anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crimes, including burglary and robbery.”

He said the MPS takes a multi-agency approach to tackling County Lines and exploitation, working with partners to protect the vulnerable through prevention and diversion.”

“The Met is committed to relentlessly pursue those responsible for County Lines drug supply, bringing them to justice for their abhorrent crimes,” said said Det Supt Sewart.

The MPS said it has closed more 1,800 lines and arrested over 3,300 County Line offenders since November 2019.

In the same period, the MPS’s Operation Orochi County Lines Taskforce has used “data-driven precision methodology” to arrest more than 1,100 line holders, resulting in 88 per cent being charged and 94 per cent convicted.

The taskforce has charged 60 defendants with 86 modern slavery offences.

Building upon this success, Operation Yamata was launched in April 2022, using the same data-driven approach to dismantle drug supply networks across the capital, intrinsically linked to homicide and serious violence. In October 2022 Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley expanded this operation as part of his vision to deliver ‘Precise Community Crime Fighting’.

James Simmonds-Read, national prevention programme manager at the Children Society, said: “It’s crucial that professionals can identify when children have been exploited by criminals, so we are pleased that many vulnerable people – including young people – have been identified to receive support.

“Any child in any community can be groomed and exploited and that includes children entering adulthood.