Police raid six properties in Hastings and St Leonards in county lines crackdown

Officers from the Hastings prevention team raided six addresses across Hastings and St Leonards as part of a 'county lines' drug-dealing investigation.
Police executed warrants in connection to an investigation into 'county lines' drug dealingPolice executed warrants in connection to an investigation into 'county lines' drug dealing
Police executed warrants in connection to an investigation into 'county lines' drug dealing

The six search warrants were conducted simultaneously on Tuesday (September 15).

In total, two people were arrested, and crack cocaine and around £6,000 in cash was seized, together with some £10,000 worth of designer clothing, police confirmed.

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On the same day, Hastings police officers helped the Metropolitan Police secure the arrest of two men in north and east London, who were wanted on suspicion of being concerned in supplying class A drugs.

The action in Hastings comes during a week of coordinated law enforcement activity across the UK targeting 'county lines' and other drug dealers.

From September 14 to September 19, officers in Sussex made 29 arrests and seized more than £15,000 worth of drugs, 47 mobile phones and 13 weapons, mainly knives.

In the same week, local officers visited 68 addresses where people were at risk of being 'cuckooed' to check on their safety. They also identified and took safeguarding action for five particularly vulnerable people who needed extra help and support from the police and local services.

Other action taken across Sussex

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In Horsham on Friday (September 18), local prevention officers executed a warrant at an address in the town. Three arrests were made for drugs possession, and drugs and £500 cash were seized.

Sussex and British Transport Police operations at Worthing and Brighton railway stations saw a total of 56 people stopped and spoken to about county lines drug dealin

Police said two arrests were made at Brighton for drugs supply offences, and one of them for possession of a large hunting knife. Many other people at both stations were engaged in wider discussion about the issue and the steps they can take to help.

During the operation at Brighton railway station, officers saw a 16-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire, who was particularly vulnerable to exploitation and safeguarding action was taken to help protect her, police added.

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The West Sussex Community Investigations Team carried out a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police in South London on Wednesday (September 16) which resulted in the arrest and charge of a 20-year-old man for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs in West Sussex.

On Thursday (September 17), officers executed a search warrant at an address in Church Road Hove, where they arrested a man and a woman on suspicion of possession of cannabis and cocaine with intent to supply. Drugs with an estimated street value of £10,000 were seized.

On the same day local officers in Eastbourne stopped a woman from West London in Seaside and arrested her on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. They seized heroin, crack cocaine, and a mobile phone.

Again on the same day, Crawley officers arrested a man in the town centre for possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, and for assaulting a police officer.

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Detective Superintendent Stuart Hale, the force's lead on combating county lines, said: "Even during the recent lockdown we have been continuing every day to disrupt dealers who try to deal dangerous drugs across our communities and we target those who use children to sell drugs or those who buy drugs from children. We investigate and prosecute, working relentlessly and targeting those who would bring harm to local people, including often the most vulnerable."

Officers have said the Covid-19 pandemic presented extra opportunities for disruption.

Reduced transport in the early stages of the pandemic hampered the abilities of gangs to move their product. This led to reduced travel and supply and the commodity becoming more expensive. Criminals were operating in a more dangerous environment, police said.

Sussex Police added: "There were less people around, and reduced demand on police in the initial phases meaning officers nationally could increase their proactivity. It was riskier to transport goods by road and public transport.

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"As restrictions have lifted, police have started to see those involved in this criminality trying to return to their normal methods of operation. The streets are busier, their criminality is less visible."

Stuart Hale added: "Local crime is often a direct result of major drug distribution via county lines and by working together with partners to shed a light on this often hidden crime. We are sending a clear message to drug dealers that they cannot expect to go undetected in Sussex."

What is 'county lines' drug dealing?

'County lines' is a term used by police and partner agencies to refer to drug networks, both gangs and organised crime groups, from large urban areas such as London, who use children and young people and vulnerable adults to carry out illegal activity on their behalf. Gangs dealing drugs is not a new issue but the extent to which criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults, as well as the increasing use of violence, has become an inherent part of it through 'county lines' makes it especially damaging.

Stuart Hale added: "The organised crime groups tend to use a local property, generally belonging to a vulnerable person, sometimes a drug user, as a base for their activities. This is known as 'cuckooing' and will often happen by force or coercion. In some instances victims have left their homes in fear of violence. Much police work involves identifying these victims and helping them.

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"Police continue to see children being exploited by criminal gangs to supply drugs in Sussex. We have experienced children travelling from London to Sussex to deal drugs on behalf of county line gangs as well Sussex children being exploited and targeted by London gangs to deal drugs locally. Our priority is to identify those children at risk of criminal exploitation and once identified work with partner agencies to put the appropriate safeguarding measures in place."

The areas in Sussex most effected by the drug trade from London are the larger coastal towns, with established drugs markets that can be exploited locally, including Hastings, Eastbourne, Worthing, Bognor, and Brighton, but also towns such as Crawley.

Stuart Hale said: "Under the overall campaign banner 'Fortress' we use the range of legal powers to tackle this problem, ranging from the Misuse of Drugs Act to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking legislation.

"We also work closely with other agencies to support those vulnerable adults and children who are exploited by county line gangs. This includes regular visits to those adults at risk of cuckooing and raising awareness with those agencies engaged with children to ensure that information is shared effectively to prevent young people being drawn in to this criminality."

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There are currently some 90 'deal lines' in operation in Sussex at any one time, according to police, often overlapping with other force areas, but that figure fluctuates on a regular basis. A ‘deal line’ is the dedicated mobile phone line to take orders from drug users.