West Yorkshire County Lines taskforce makes 72 arrests and seizes £150k in first year

Operation Phoenix has shut down over 50 drug lines and charged 143 people since launching in October. A dawn raid in Pudsey led to two further arrests.

Pudsey dawn raid marks latest strike by West Yorkshire County Lines unit

Two people were arrested during a pre-dawn raid on a property in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, as part of an ongoing crackdown on County Lines drug dealing, thetelegraphandargus.co.uk reports.

The operation was carried out by the West Yorkshire Police County Lines Task Force, known as Operation Phoenix, which was set up last year with Home Office funding to specifically target County Lines criminality.

Since launching in October, the task force has made 72 arrests and secured 143 charges. Officers have also seized 7.5 kilos of Class A drugs, including heroin and cocaine, along with nearly £150,000 in suspected criminal cash and assets. More than 50 telephone lines have been shut down and 43 individuals have been safeguarded.

Detective Inspector Helen Chapman, who heads the unit, said the team had taken "significant steps to disrupt the activities of those involved in County Lines" since going live.

"This type of offending causes real harm in our communities — it's linked to serious violence as well as vulnerable people, including children, being exploited," Chapman said. "Our aim is to identify the people involved and dismantle their networks."

Anyone with information about County Lines drug dealing or exploitation can contact West Yorkshire Police on 101, or via the force's online live chat. The independent charity Crimestoppers can also be reached anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, dial 999.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)