Police target ‘county lines’

Policing teams with a sniffer dog targeted railway stations in the operation.Policing teams with a sniffer dog targeted railway stations in the operation.
Policing teams with a sniffer dog targeted railway stations in the operation.
More than 100 stop checks, 24 arrests, and five warrants were carried out last week by police tackling suspected County Lines drug operations in Sleaford, Grantham and Lincoln.

Neighbourhood Policing officers from Lincolnshire Police and officers from British Transport Police’s (BTP) County Lines Taskforce, assisted by the Metropolitan Police’s Op Orochi County Lines Taskforce were on the look out on Wednesday and Thursday (October 2 and 3) to identify any passengers who might have been involved in County Lines drug dealing.

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Checks were carried out at Sleaford railway station on Thursday, as well as at Lincoln station and High Street during both days, and foot patrols were carried out at Grantham railway station and the surrounding town on Thursday.

While this was happening, specialist search-trained officers and detectives targeted addresses in the Lincoln and Sleaford areas based on intelligence about potential County Lines activity. The warrants led to multiple arrests, the seizure of suspected imitation firearms, Class A drugs, and knives.

The operational activity was supported by voluntary and statutory safeguarding services for children and adults, to ensure that the right help could be accessed quickly and effectively.

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There were 24 arrests with three warrants carried out to raid premises in Sleaford and two in Lincoln.

An estimated £12,000 of cash and drugs were seized, two imitation firearms and several knives seized while six children and ten adults were safeguarded, including one vulnerable man.

Retail venues, hotels and cafes in all areas were visited and given prevention advice and officers, safeguarding teams, and partners visited ‘The Happening’ in Sleaford, an immersive experience designed to divert people away from carrying a knife and becoming involved in serious violence.

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Investigations are now ongoing in relation to the arrests made, and officers and safeguarding teams will be following up with those identified as needing support to divert them from becoming involved in drug dealing.

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