Suspected County Lines Intensification Week October 2023

A crackdown on suspected County Lines activity in the county led to 21 arrests, the seizure of six imitation firearms, and the safeguarding of seven children who were at risk of being exploited.

The County Lines Intensification Week, which ran from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 October, saw officers focus their efforts on disrupting suspected drugs activity throughout the county.  

County Lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks which export illegal drugs into other areas across the UK, using dedicated mobile phone ‘deal lines’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults into running the drugs, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence – including sexual violence – and weapons.

We target County Lines activity all year round, and the latest push of activity was in support of the national activity coordinated by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC).

Highlights include:

• Seized crack cocaine, cocaine, cannabis bud, and cannabis plants
• Seized six imitation firearms and ten knives which could have made their ways to our streets
• Arrested 21 people in total, including five in Lincoln, and eight in the coastal area
• 37 charges brought against a number of people
• Carried out 35 stop and searches in Lincoln resulting in five arrests in Lincoln,
• Two people issued with a Section 8 notice, which informs the tenant of a property that they are liable for prosecution if drugs activity takes place at their address
• Five boys and 2 girls at risk of exploitation safeguarded
• Multiple wellbeing referrals to NHS and the charity With You
• Delivered interactive sessions, focusing on County Lines, knife crime, young people gang recruitment and hate crime to a further 600 young people

Detective Inspector Gail Hurley from the Force Intelligence Bureau, said: "The negative impact of drugs on our communities can be significant, which is why we make it a priority to disrupt and close down County Lines throughout the year.

"The organised networks orchestrating County Lines activities prey on the most vulnerable members of society – children, adults with additional needs, addicts – and pull them in to a world of exploitation, danger, and fear. We know that with drugs comes weapons-related crime and other offending, and we target both types of criminality and do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.

"We couldn’t do this work without the help of our communities who provide much-needed intelligence around drug-dealing, suspicious activity, or vulnerability, and we would encourage people to continue to do this."

If you have concerns about someone you know being involved in County Lines, you can find out more here: https://www.lincs.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/cl/county-lines/