Dozens of people have been charged with a variety of drug and weapons-related offences, and £420K in cash, assets and drugs seized during four weeks of enforcement targeting County Lines.
Operation Stabilise targeted the suspected networks – where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another, usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs – across Lincolnshire, Lancashire, and Nottinghamshire. The ‘County Line’ is the mobile phone line used to take the orders of drugs.
The ten-month investigation, led by Lincolnshire Police supported by supported by EMSOU and officers from Lancashire Police and Nottinghamshire Police, culminated with 38 search warrants executed over a month of enforcement. The Op included officers and police staff ranging from PCs, intelligence officers and detectives, to armed response officers, and forensics units, and saw 10 separate drug conspiracy investigations conducted.
More than £300,000 in assets were seized including designer watches, clothing, electrical goods and cars, as well as more than £55,000 in cash, an estimated £53,000 of Class A crack and heroin, an estimated £12K of cannabis, and a variety or weapons including knives, a shotgun and two hand guns.