Alleged County Lines gang operating in the North East disrupted by Police

Eighteen people have been arrested following coordinated County Lines raids by Northumbria, Durham, Cheshire and Merseyside Police and the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU).

More than 100 officers executed warrants at 15 addresses in Gateshead, Newcastle, Stanley, Pelton Fell, Peterlee and Seaham and in Widnes, Crewe, the Wirral, and Liverpool.

Northumbria Police Detective Chief Inspector, Jamie Pitt, told ITV News "we are no longer simply targeting local street dealers in a local context. We’re going for principles, we’re going for logistics and we’re looking to dismantle organised crime groups".

Watch @krisjepson's report here:

Operation Girona targeted a suspected organised criminal group who had allegedly been running a County Line shipping Class A drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin, into the region from the North West.

Police seized £16,000 in cash, 175g of heroin worth £2,800, more than 12,000 suspected illegal cigarettes, 165 packets of tobacco and 32 mobile phones. A number of vehicles were also uplifted.

A total of 13 men, aged between 18 and 57, and five women, aged between 31 and 59, were all arrested on suspicion of Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs throughout the United Kingdom. They have since been released under investigation.

Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, told ITV News these operations are vital for safeguarding vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs.