Police in Yorkshire and the Humber have arrested 85 people and seized Class A drugs valued at over £105,000 as part of a national County Lines crime crackdown.
Officers from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU), working in partnership with Humberside Police, North Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police were involved in last week’s national County Lines Intensification Week aimed at tackling serious and organised crime.
A total of £106,800 of class A drugs including cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine was seized, as well as over £92,0000 in suspected criminal cash.
Officers also safeguarded 130 people, 50 of them women and 80 of them men, and visited 60 addresses across the region where the occupants are believed to be the victims of so-called ‘cuckooing’ where the homes of often vulnerable people are taken over by criminals.
Seizures of weapons included one firearm, 14 knives, six machetes, a knuckle duster and a spear.
Educational inputs also took place at schools, while neighbourhood officers also increased activity at transport hubs such as bus stations and train stations, where they worked with British Transport Police.
Officers also increased patrols outside prisons.
Activities to tackle County Lines crime took place during the week-long national period which ran from October 9 to 15 and was led by the National County Lines Coordination Centre.
Detective Superintendent Fiona Gaffney, deputy head of the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) said: “The YHROCU is committed to tackling county lines crime and exploitation through our ongoing work with police forces and partner agencies.
“I’m pleased that this period of intensification has resulted in the arrests of criminals and the removal of drugs, weapons and criminal assets coming into our communities here in Yorkshire and the Humber.”
“It must also be stressed that our work in tackling the serious organised crime that feeds into County Lines activities does not cease and that we are determined to bring those responsible to justice while safeguarding the vulnerable.”
“We would urge anyone with information or concerns to call police on 101 or the independent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”