County Lines taskforce to be set up in West Yorkshire

It will target drug running in and out of the region and protect those exploited by the dangerous illegal drugs trade.

The dedicated County Lines taskforce in West Yorkshire is an expansion of the Government’s County Lines Programme and is backed by £1.3 million of funding – and includes additional specialist support for victims, expanding across Leeds and Bradford.

The Government already funds dedicated taskforces in major cities such as London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

County Lines is a term used to describe gangs who are involved in transporting illegal drugs into different counties within the UK, using dedicated ‘deal lines’ often run out of the biggest cities with routes into different towns. It is one of the most violent models of drug supply and often sees children used to move and store drugs and money.

Since July 2024, work by the taskforces has led to more than 1,200 line closures and more than 2,000 arrests, leading to the charging of more than 800 criminals controlling lines.

As part of the new funding, specialist support services provided by Catch22 will be extended to the region to help the vulnerable people and children who are exploited by this trade.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said: “The appalling reality of County Lines drug running is that criminal gangs exploit children and teenagers to run drugs, further drawing them into violence and serious crime.

“We’ve also seen competing drugs gangs running operations into small towns and communities also tackling violence and knife crime into those too.

“Officers at West Yorkshire Police have already made important progress in combatting drugs running in the area, and this funding will help the force go further to put a stop to this evil practice.

“As part of the Plan for Change, we are going further to protect children from being criminally exploited by investing millions into policing and introducing specific offences that properly recognise the harm it causes and punish those who choose to inflict this pain.”

T/Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jones said: “The formation of a dedicated taskforce for West Yorkshire gives us an opportunity to build on the work we already do in tackling County Lines crime head on, making an even greater positive impact.

“County Lines crime has a direct effect on communities across the whole of West Yorkshire – from the exploitation of young and vulnerable people who are often coerced into doing the dirty work of hardened organised criminals, to the serious violence and drug-related misery that comes with it.

“Our aim is clear – we will be relentless in our pursuit of those behind county lines by disrupting their illicit enterprises. We will safeguard victims, raise awareness of the dangers of county lines and continue to work with our partners to make our towns and villages stronger and safer.”

West Yorkshire has consistently been one of the largest exporters of County Lines drug running in recent years, which is why the government has chosen to provide further funding for the force and Catch22 to provide specialist support to victims in the region.

Twenty-eight arrests were made and two lines were closed by West Yorkshire Police last week as part of a national County Lines Intensification Week. This also saw 26 people safeguarded and £9,000 of Class A drugs and more than £100,000 in cash seized by officers.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “We must protect our local communities, including vulnerable children, from the scourge of drugs and gang violence.

“This significant investment into a dedicated taskforce and support for victims will bolster our ongoing efforts to tackle this issue.

“We are determined that there will be nowhere to hide for criminals who exploit children and damage our communities both in West Yorkshire and across our borders.”

Kate Wareham, Catch22 strategic director, Young People Families and Communities, said: “Having seen first hand the devastating impact of county lines on young people, this expansion into Yorkshire is crucial.

“We know the need for our service is growing, and we’re committed to working with partners like the Home Office and British Transport Police to keep safeguarding these vulnerable children at the forefront. In our efforts to draw a line on exploitation, we welcome this investment in our service.”

Last week’s national County Lines Intensification Week saw 241 lines shut down and 1,965 arrests made.

Coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)-led National County Lines Coordination Centre, the crackdown saw approximately 178.49kg of Class A drugs, 500 weapons, including 325 bladed weapons, and £2.4 million in cash seized by officers across England and Wales

Commander Paul Brogden, NPCC lead for County Lines, said: “Protecting communities is our top priority and the arrests of these organised criminals who control and hold drug lines will contribute hugely to this.

“Over the past week we have seen an overwhelming amount of drugs seized and arrests made and this will have had a substantial impact on drug supply and associated crime, particularly violence, that comes with it.

“The intensification work isn’t just about arrests and seizures, it’s also about crime prevention, identifying the people being exploited for other’s gain and making sure they receive the best support possible.

“To be clear, we remain persistent in pursuing these offenders and our officers work tirelessly all year round to identify and close down these drug lines. We will continue to root out those who are exploiting the vulnerable and supplying drugs which devastates communities across the country.”

Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson added: “County Lines drug running relies on the coercion and exploitation of children and vulnerable people. It must be stopped.

“I want to thank every police officer who dedicates themselves to combatting this criminality. I recently saw first-hand how hard they work to close lines, bring perpetrators to justice and safeguard those exploited by this evil trade.

“Protecting vulnerable people should always be at the heart of the police’s response and is why the Government has introduced new laws which will punish the heartless gangs who lure people into their illegal trade further – including specific offences of child criminal exploitation, cuckooing and coerced internal concealment.”

The expansion of the County Lines Programme comes as the Home Secretary launches the Government’s Safer Streets summer initiative. This nationwide crackdown will seek to target town centre crime, such as shop theft and anti-social behaviour, much of which is driven by the supply of drugs into these communities.

More than 500 town centres have signed up to the Safer Streets summer blitz that will see shops benefit from increased police patrols and local action to tackle town centre crime and antisocial behaviour.