Police seize knives, firearms and Class A drugs in county lines crackdown in Hampshire
Nearly 50 suspects have been arrested and more than £19,000 in cash seized after Hampshire Police's latest crackdown in the war on county lines.
Police also seized 49 mobile phones, eight knives, five firearms, and large quantities of Class A and B drugs in a bid to dismantle organised drug gangs across the south.
Detectives have been focusing their efforts on county lines, dismantling 15 networks as part of a national week of intensification to tackle the drug supply and related high harm that brings violence and misery to communities, and exposes young people at risk to exploitation.
Hampshire Police's Nick Plummer, said: "Our fight against drugs in Hampshire continues at pace. We are working harder than ever to crack down on county lines, which bring misery to communities in the form of drug dealing and violence.
"County lines operators adapt their system in response to relentless pressure from police forces.
"They vary their illegal activities to avoid law enforcement and seek new ways of exploiting vulnerable people in different areas of the country to run drugs for them.
"Our work during County lines week maintains this pressure on drug dealing lines, driving the harm they pedal from our communities, through the closure of drug dealing lines across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and safeguarding victims.
"We are continuously working to identify new ways to crack down on this abhorrent crime with the ongoing support from our partners in health, housing, the National Crime Agency and other police forces.
"The results of this week of intensification speak for themselves with 48 arrests and 14 vulnerable people safeguarded. Large quantities of Class A drugs and offensive weapons and imitation firearms taken off our streets.
"Safeguarding groups and charities are a vital tool in the fight against county lines and we encourage members of the public to come forward with information to help those vulnerable people, including children, to be safeguarded.
"The success of these operations wouldn't be possible without the intelligence that you, the community provide. Even the smallest pieces of information that is provided can often benefit our investigations. I'd like to thank the public for their assistance in continuing to report crime and intelligence to us either directly or via the independent charity Crimestoppers."