Thirty people arrested in Suffolk during national week of action targeting drug dealing

Thirty people were arrested in Suffolk during a national week of action targeting drug dealing and associated criminality which included cocaine valued at over £146,000 and £10,580 in cash being seized.

Last week Suffolk, alongside other forces in England and Wales, took part in operations to crackdown on county lines drug dealing and to safeguard those most at risk.

Much of the focus for County Lines Intensification Week, taking place between June 23 and 29, was for officers and partner agencies to be aware of and work towards reducing child exploitation, particularly child criminal exploitation associated with county lines.

This can include being forced to transport or sell drugs, or by being exploited into associated criminality, including carrying weapons or being involved in violence, or being the victims of sexual exploitation.

A person under 18 cannot consent to their exploitation.

County Lines is where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another, often across police and local authority boundaries, and often by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs.

The County Line is the mobile phone line used to take the orders of drugs.

While the week of action saw the arrest of individuals, there were a range of awareness events and vulnerability checks taking place, as well as training offered for officers to be better able to identify and respond to victims of child exploitation.

The operation involved local policing teams across the county, as well as investigative, proactive and specialist teams.

Sixteen of the 30 arrests came as a result of operations and warrants led by the constabulary’s proactive teams. Of these 16, seven people charged and remanded. These teams also disrupted eight drug lines.

Across the week drugs, cash and weapons were seized.

The full breakdown was:

• 1.49kg cocaine – £146,720 estimated value;
• 127 smaller deals / wraps of cocaine;
• 102 wraps / deals crack cocaine;
• Two cannabis plants and 207g cannabis bud;
• 200 cannabis edibles;
• 100 x small amounts of ketamine and amphetamine;
• £10,580 cash recovered;
• Two knives seized; and
• Four deal lines and 37 mobile phones seized

Detective Superintendent Tam Burgess said: “We have had some excellent results, with a number of those arrested quickly charged and remanded.

“Local intelligence is a key part of ensuring we are investigating, targeting and collating evidence to disrupt those that are causing harm in our communities.

“I would continue to urge you to contact police if you have any concerns or information that may help brings those responsible to justice.

“Our work to tackle County Lines drug dealing is not isolated to these weeks of action, it is a key focus for the constabulary and takes place day-in, day-out across the year.

“People involved in County Lines are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money often using coercive, intimidating behaviours including use and threats of violence and weapons.

“We have used the week as an opportunity to engage with people of all ages and shared the signs of what to look out for.

“Anyone can be exploited, those that groom their victims can often be subtle, giving them a belief of friendship or family, but it is exploitation.

“It is important that children, young people, parents, teachers, care workers, police officers and people from all backgrounds are aware of the signs.”

Community engagement events took place throughout the week, including hundreds of engagements with students at schools and colleges.

These events also included pop up community events, sessions with emergency services cadets and visits to night-time economy venues and hotels to provide support and explain what County Lines is and what to look out for.

Taxi and fast-food companies and workers were also visited to highlight potential exploitation.

An operation also took place where officers were joined by partners in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Saxmundham. In total 70 vehicles were stopped to conduct license and insurance checks.

Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) are often used to transport exploited children and young people between hotels, pubs and other places. The movement of children for exploitation is trafficking and is a form of modern slavery.

Taxi drivers play a valuable role, they are the eyes and ears of the community and they are key partners in tackling exploitation.

They also have a legal and social obligation to safeguard children.

Taxi drivers are in a unique position to notice when all may not be right with passengers in their vehicle and should pass their concerns on to the police – potentially saving a child from exploitation.