Police have arrested 14 people as part of an investigation targeting Liverpool based County Lines drug gangs.
Ten men and four women were held during the raids today( Thursday) as the force targeted Merseyside side based gangs selling drugs in Morecambe, Plymouth and Torquay.
Today's arrests follow a lengthy investigation into drugs and firearms stretching across the UK.
Detective Inspector Mark Drew said : “Today’s co-ordinated warrants follow a lengthy an extensive investigation into the possession of firearms and county lines drug supply across the UK. Working closely with Lancashire Police and Devon and Cornwall Police, we have seen a significant amount of arrests and seizures including suspected class A drugs, cash and cannabis as a result of this morning’s activity.
“County Lines is when criminal gangs from big cities across the UK use violence and intimidation to expand their drug network within their region, and into suburban areas, such as market and coastal towns across the country. This can often involve exploiting young people and vulnerable adults to move, sell and store the drugs.
“Working with partner agencies and other forces is crucial in disrupting criminality across the country, and we will continue to carry out joint activity such as todays warrants to target those who blight our communities, far and wide, with serious and organised crime.
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“Information from the public is also a vital part in identifying these individuals and putting them before the courts, and we cannot do this without the assistance of our communities. If you have information on the supply of drugs or use or storage of weapons, please get in touch so we can take action. I would also like to encourage people to become familiar with the signs that someone may be being exploited and report this to us, so that we can offer them help and protection when they may not be able to see a way out.”
“ If you have information on the storage of weapons or use of drugs, please contact @MerPolCC, or 101. Alternatively, you can pass information to independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Those arrested today are:
•A 32-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to possess firearms and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 39-year-old man from Kirkby, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 41-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 21-year-old man from Kirkby, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 19-year-old woman from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 48-year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 44-year-old woman from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 53-year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 38 -year-old man from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 33-year-old woman from Morecambe, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 48-year-old woman from Wilmslow, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 44-year-old man from Liverpool, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 41-year-old man from Plymouth, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
•A 38-year-old man from Bolton, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
