Greater Manchester Police in county lines raids

Greater Manchester police have arrested 17 people in raids targeted at so called county lines drug dealing.

More than 110 thousand pounds and 7 thousand pounds of class A drugs were seized in the raids.

County lines is the term used for operations by organised crime groups to sell drugs across county borders, into small towns and seaside resorts.

The 'lines' are phones used to manipulate and terrorise often young, vulnerable people into becoming part of the illegal trade.

In these latest raids officers have identified more than twenty possible victims.

Detective Inspector Julie Adams says the most important part of raids like these is identifying those young victims who are being exploited and often physically attacked by gangs.

The force is one of the public bodies involved in Programme Challenger a campaign to identify victims of county lines and modern slavery and offer them a way out.