Thirteen arrests in Cambridgeshire as part of county lines week of action

A nationwide crackdown on county lines drug gangs has led to the arrest of 13 people in Cambridgeshire.

The activity, co-ordinated by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), which is jointly run by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), was led by police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs).

The week of activity included executing warrants at addresses, visits to vulnerable people including those at risk of cuckooing, and engagement with those who are being exploited by county lines networks.

Four men and two teenage boys were arrested in Cambridge and crack cocaine and heroin worth about £730 was seized, along with £2,576 in cash. The other arrests were made in Peterborough.

Chief Constable Nick Dean said: “Drug networks, and in particular county lines, bring a whole host of criminality to our county, including violence and exploitation which I have set as priorities for us as a force to tackle. The constabulary has been on the front foot in tackling county lines and the intensification week is just a snap shot of the activity we have been conducting. I can reassure the community this work will not stop.

“We have seen some excellent work from local policing teams during this week of action and we will continue to be relentless in our approach to making Cambridgeshire a hostile environment for criminals to operate in, making our county a safer place.

“The public have a vital role to play in building the information and intelligence picture and I am grateful to all those who have come forward to enable us to continue to target those who operate in the drugs environment.”

Anyone with information about drug networking or exploitation is encouraged to report to police either online or call 101. Alternatively contact the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously via www.crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111.