An alleged County Lines drug ring peddling heroin and cocaine across the country was busted by police.
Thirteen people, including three men and two women from Liverpool, were arrested after police raided homes across the North West, South East and South West of England. The raids came as part of an ongoing investigation into large scale County Lines drugs supply of heroin and crack cocaine.
The operation was led by the Serious and Organised Crime Branch at Devon & Cornwall Police with the help of other police forces. Those arrested include suspects from Liverpool, London, Blackburn and Prescot and all remain in custody today where they will be questioned by detectives.
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The full list of suspects arrested is as follows:
- Two men in their 40s, a man in his 30s and a man in his 60s from Liverpool
- Two women, aged in their 20s from Liverpool
- A man in his 20s from London
- A man in his 40s from Colchester
- A man in his 40s from Prescot
- A man in his 20s from Risley
- A man in his 20s from Merseyside
- A man in his 30s from Blackburn
- A man in his 40s from Exeter
County Lines involves illegal drugs being peddled from one area to another, often across police and local authority boundaries, usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs.
Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft said: “Our investigation of large-scale drug supply into Devon & Cornwall remains ongoing and when we are able to do so, we will provide more information.
“Those individuals arrested today currently remain in police custody and will be interviewed in due course.
“We are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate the supply of drugs and exploitation of the vulnerable, not only in our force area but across the country. We will continue to work closely with other police forces on a daily basis so no matter where you are, we will pursue and take action against those who intend to commit crime.”
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