Police forces across the South West have arrested nearly 200 people and seized drugs worth an estimated £404,000 as part of a coordinated crackdown on county lines drug dealing. The operation, named Operation Scorpion, involved officers from Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, who conducted a series of raids from 7 March.
According to police, the aim of the groundbreaking operation was to create a 'ring of steel' against criminals looking to cause harm in the region. County lines is a term used to describe drug-dealing networks that use dedicated mobile phone lines to connect urban and rural areas, often exploiting children and vulnerable people.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Cooper of Wiltshire Police said the operation targeted criminals who import drugs into the South West. In Devon and Cornwall alone, 20 arrests were made, and officers seized heroin worth £35,600, cannabis valued at £205,040, and cocaine worth £16,000, along with thousands of pounds in cash, three vehicles, high-value clothing and handbags.
Overall, 400 drug supply lines were disrupted across the five force areas. Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick noted that criminals do not see county borders, and neither do the police. The collaborative approach is set to continue in the months ahead.
