A WOMAN who concealed drugs down her bra was one of 17 people arrested as part of a police crackdown on county line drug dealing this week across the North East.
County lines is the name given to drug dealing here organised criminal groups move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.
Police teams executed warrants at addresses that are linked to drugs and also carried out several safeguarding visits to help prevent “cuckooing” taking place.
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This is when county lines drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person for a short time while they carry out their deals before returning to their town or city.
In Northumbria, officers say they carried out several targeted operations across their force area to safeguard victims, shut down drug lines and target those at the top.
Northumbria Police say they executed warrants at a number of premises, carried out targeted patrols at transport hubs, seized knives and quantities of drugs as well as gathered key intelligence to further safeguard those being exploited.
In Scarborough, police executed two drugs warrants, the first address resulted in the recovery of suspected cannabis, drug dealing equipment, cash and mobile phones.
A 45-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis.
The man was also arrested for possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. Following questioning, they were later released under investigation while enquiries continue.
At the second address there was no one present when they forced the door open, but a search of the property resulted in the seizure of a suspected class A drug believed to be a type of heroin.
Police say enquiries are ongoing in the effort to make arrests in connection with suspected drug-dealing activity in the area.
Northumbria Police say they executed warrants at a number of premises, carried out targeted patrols at transport hubs, seized knives and quantities of drugs as well as gathered key intelligence to further safeguard those being exploited.
Police in Scarborough also arrested four people in suspicion of class A drug offences following an early morning vehicle stop.
A white Audi car was pulled over on Burniston Road and following a search of the vehicle, suspected drugs were seized.
The driver, a 39-year-old local man, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply.
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The passengers, a 29-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman and an 18-year-old woman, were arrested on suspicion of possessing a Class A drug.
In Harrogate, a vehicle of interest was sighted heading for Harrogate from West Yorkshire.
The vehicle was stopped by police and the driver was searched, the driver was then found to have 16 wraps of what is believed to be a class A drug, three mobile phones and £350 in cash.
The driver, a 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A-drug.
Police say that following questioning the man was later released under investigation while enquiries continue.
In York, officers received reports that a woman aged in her 50s from York was transporting runners in her vehicle.
The vehicle that she was using was sighted and stopped by the firearms unit and the woman was found with six wraps of what is believed to be crack cocaine concealed in her bra.
All three occupants of the car were arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs and the woman in her 50s was subsequently released under investigation and the two other occupants in the vehicle were released with no further action.
Police say the vulnerable person check was conducted on an address in York and once at the address police found a wrap described as “the size of a golfball” which contained what was believed to be class A drugs.
Detective chief inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith, who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said: “Whilst we work all year to take drugs off the streets of North Yorkshire this week of intensification has brought some substantial results.
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“By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation we can make North Yorkshire’s communities safer.
“We can only do this with the support and information that we get from residents so I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”
Chief inspector Stu Liddell, Northumbria Police County Lines lead, has promised forces will continue to monitor tactics and ensure the policing response remains “effective and robust”.
He added: “We are working harder than ever with our partners to crack down on County Lines, which brings misery to communities, and ensure it does not take hold in our region.
“County Lines uses methods of drug dealing which sees those involved adopt aggressive tactics to trap and exploit vulnerable users, including children, in a cycle which they can’t break free from.
“We remain dedicated to bringing those responsible for violence and exploitation to justice and will use all avenues available to us to do so.”
Kim McGuinness, Northumbria police and crime commissioner, said there was no hiding from the fact that “County Lines is a serious threat to young and vulnerable people.”
She added: “Protecting our communities from drug-related harm never stops though. These hardened criminals may be ruthless but the policing response they are met with is equally relentless.
“No one should get away with forcing victims into dangerous situations purely to move and sell drugs to satisfy their own greed, and I know officers will do everything they can to make sure those responsible are caught and end up behind bars.”
“No one should get away with forcing victims into dangerous situations purely to move and sell drugs to satisfy their own greed, and I know officers will do everything they can to make sure those responsible are caught and end up behind bars.”
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