13 Mar 2026

Hundreds of County Lines dismantled in national crackdown

More than 2,000 arrests, 335 lines shut down, and almost 800 children safeguarded during week-long offensive.

Police across the UK have dismantled hundreds of County Lines operations, arrested scores of suspected drug dealers, and safeguarded vulnerable children and adults during a national week of coordinated action.

County Lines describes organised criminal networks that move illegal drugs between areas using dedicated phone lines, often relying on violence, exploitation and the coercion of vulnerable people, including children, to run their operations.

Led by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), forces and regional organised crime units joined together for a week of targeted activity combining enforcement, safeguarding, and partnership work with charities and local agencies.

The latest week of targeted action, which ran from March 2 to March 8, saw some of the best results to date, including:

Enforcement

2,180 arrests
335 drug lines shut down
£1.5+ million cash seized
180Kg+ of Class A drugs recovered (9.28kg crack, 86.87kg heroin, 84.65kg cocaine)
10,500+ wraps Class A drugs seized

Approx.15,000 cannabis plants seized
377 bladed weapons – including knives, machetes, axes and swords - removed from the streets
115 other weapons including knuckledusters, batons, hammers and a crossbow seized
121 firearms and ammunition seized
23 dangerous dogs seized
Assets seized included 1,200 phones, 100+ vehicles, designer goods, computer equipment, and gold items including a gold bar, suitcase and teeth.

Safeguarding

683 suspected ‘cuckooed’ addresses visited
1,348 people safeguarded, including 252 girls and 544 boys under 18.

The operation also focused heavily on missing children, exploitation prevention, and building community resilience against County Lines harm.

Commander Paul Brogden, national policing lead for County Lines and gangs, said:

“Tackling County Lines is a top priority for UK policing. These criminals are violent, exploit vulnerable people, and cause serious harm to communities.

“During last week’s intensification activity, policing shut down 335 drug lines, made over 2,000 arrests, and seized over 180kg of Class A drugs and hundreds of dangerous weapons. This united effort sends a clear message to offenders.

“This work forms a core part of our National County Lines Policing Strategy to prevent exploitation, protect vulnerable children and adults, and pursue violent offenders involved in drugs, modern slavery, knife and weapons crime.

“We continue to work closely with partners such as Catch22 and the Children’s Society to prevent young people being drawn into high‑harm criminality and to support those already exploited.

“Although this intensification week has concluded, our commitment has not. We remain relentless in targeting those involved in County Lines criminality.”

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said:

“Joining officers on a county lines raid during County Lines Intensification Week showed me first-hand the courage, precision and dedication that go into protecting our communities and keeping our streets safer.

“The Government is committed to halving knife crime and tackling violent and exploitative county lines gangs is crucial to achieving this.

These results prove without doubt the impact of that work – every deal line closed means violence and exploitation prevented and drugs and weapons off our streets.

“Through the County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs and breaking the organised crime groups behind the trade. The Programme has a proven record of delivering impact with record numbers of lines closed and gang leaders charged in the last year. We will continue to work with forces to dismantle these ruthless gangs.”

James Simmonds-Read, National Programme Manager at The Children’s Society, said:

“Thousands of children go missing every year, and every hour they are away increases their risk of sexual abuse, violence and criminal exploitation, such as county lines.

“Too often missing children are being failed – their return home seen as the end of the ordeal rather than a chance to understand what led them to go missing and how they might be at risk of exploitation. These underlying reasons must then be tackled with ongoing, tailored support to stop them going missing again.

“County Lines Intensification Week is an opportunity, not only to disrupt ongoing exploitation but also to identify young victims and protect them from future harm.”

Intensification week activity highlights

In Kent, officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), targeted a drugs line suspected of having been sold from one man to another. Warrants were executed at properties linked to each of them men, and officers located £60k in cash, 100g of pure gold worth £13k, a phone linked to the drug line, and quantities of cannabis deals. A 15-year-old girl believed to have been criminally and sexually exploited, was identified and has been safeguarded.
In the West Midlands, officers seized 9kg of heroin and a quantity of cocaine during a warrant in Birmingham. Two children under 13 found at the address were safeguarded, and a woman later handed herself in to police. She’s since been charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
In South Wales, officers targeted a Cardiff gang known to exploit children to run drugs. Four men were arrested and charged after a warrant uncovered a kilo of cocaine, half-a-kilo of heroin and a loaded handgun. A child was identified and safeguarded. In neighbouring Barry, another organized crime group (OCG) was targeted, with four child drug runners identified and safeguarded. Three men have been charged with drug supply and modern slavery offences, and officers seized approximately £4,000 cash, a large amount of cannabis and a brick of suspected Class A drugs.
In West Mercia, officers conducting a warrant at a property and car in Telford found keys to a separate car. A search of that vehicle uncovered 13kgs of suspected Class As with an estimated street value of more than £330k. Officers also seized 21 mobile phones and cash.
In London, a joint partnership operation involving SWR Railway Revenue Protection, the Met Child Exploitation Team, British Transport Police Surrey Children’s Services and Achieving for Children, took place at Kingston Railway Station. The deployment coincided with the widely publicised opening of the UK’s first Chick-fil-a store in the nearby town centre, which attracted significant footfall, including individuals travelling from areas such as Mitcham, Stratford and even Birmingham. The operation provided strong visibility, safeguarding opportunities and disruption activity. Three arrests were made during the deployment, for offences including drug possession, possession of an offensive weapon, and robbery, and a zombie knife was seized. Community resolutions and penalty fare notices were also issued.
In Barnet, the Op Orochi team targeted a suspect believed to be operating a drug line from London into Suffolk, facilitating the supply of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and ketamine. As officers gained entry, the suspect was attempting to dispose of drugs down the sink. Despite his effort, 1.5kgs of crystal meth was recovered along with quantities of cocaine and ketamine, with £25,000 in cash and a gold bar valued at £37,000.
In Merseyside, 237 people were arrested, 17 drugs lines were dismantled, and 50 vulnerable people were safeguarded. As part of their Project Medusa prevention work, a range of diversionary activities also took place. These were delivered in partnership with Anfield Boxing Club, Catch22, Everton in the Community, Ivison Trust, LFC Foundation, Positive Futures, Hype, Tower Hill Boxing Club, Early Help St Helens, Toxteth El8te, AP Coaching & Mentoring and Tranmere Rovers in the Community.