Police have seized £300,000 worth of edible cannabis that gang members disguised as sweets to target children. The drug-laced sweets, made to look like children's favourites such as Dairy Milk and Milky Bar, were seized during a bust in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire Police made 39 arrests during a week-long operation targeting County Lines crime. County Lines crime sees drugs moved from one area to another, usually by vulnerable people or children who are coerced into it by gangs, the force said.
Detective Superintendent Fiona Gaffney said: “County Lines and the organised crime linked to it has a significant impact on the people of West Yorkshire and the communities we serve. “It’s linked to violence and the exploitation of many vulnerable people.”
Last year, cops in West Yorkshire seized a large amount of cannabis edibles that were disguised as bags of Haribo sweets and Dorito crisp packets. A spokesperson for the force added that 19 mobile phones used by dealers to arrange the supply of drugs were seized as well as designer clothing, high-value electric bikes and scooters and nearly £130,000 in cash.
They also found knives, an axe, batons and a crossbow. Police also identified or engaged with 46 vulnerable adults and paid a visit to three cuckooed addresses, where vulnerable people are being exploited by criminal gangs in their homes for criminal gain.
