Two-day operation sees 43 arrested in County Lines crackdown

A joint operation between Merseyside and Humberside Police across North East Lincolnshire has resulted in 43 arrests and the closure of seven ‘graft’ lines.

From 13 June to 14 June, teams from both forces deployed across the county, targeting a number of locations including Grimsby and Scunthorpe, to disrupt organised crime groups and county lines activity.

A total of 43 people were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences, including possession with intent to supply, possession of a controlled drug, drug driving and being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs.

Officers seized more than £5,000 in illicit cash; Class A drugs including cocaine, heroin and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of more than £10,000; and Class B drugs such as cannabis and spice. 30 mobile devices were also recovered, with seven graft lines closed. A graft phone is the main point of contact between the drug dealers and the drug users on the street.

16 people – residing from Humberside, Merseyside, Bradford and London – have since been charged.

Notable arrests and charges:

• Matthew Cooper, aged 25, of Anderson Street, Grimsby, was charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine), possession of a controlled drug (Class B), dangerous driving and failure to stop for the police. Cooper failed to stop for police while driving. He was later detained and found to have more than 50 wraps of Class A drugs in his possession. A further search at his home address uncovered an estimated £1,000 of Class A drugs.
  
  
• Joshua Deakins, aged 19, of Rutland Street, Grimsby, was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (heroin and cocaine) and has been remanded in custody. During a search of a property, officers found a large quantity of cocaine wraps and mobile phones, which were seized.
  
  
• Officers on patrol spotted a suspected drug deal between two men which led to the search of a property in Cleethorpes. Six men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. They remain in custody while enquiries are ongoing.
  
  
• A man from London was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, resisting arrest, damage to a police vehicle and driving whilst disqualified. Officers on patrol intercepted a suspected drug deal and instructed the driver to pull over. The man damaged a police vehicle and made off on foot before being detained. Upon searching the car, officers found suspected Class A drugs and a number of mobile phones.

Project Medusa, funded by the Home Office, is the Merseyside-led initiative to tackle County Lines drug dealing and the criminal exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults.

Since 2019, Merseyside’s Project Medusa officers – who are recognised nationally as a leading force in tackling county lines – have closed more than 1,000 county lines; arrested more than 2,200 people for offences including drug supply, firearms and money laundering; and identified 1,186 children and vulnerable adults who have been referred to safeguarding services.

Inspector Darren Wallace from Merseyside Police said: “It’s vital that we work with other forces to tackle the drug dealing which does so much damage in our communities.

“Criminals running their County Lines operations don’t care about borders, as shown by the arrests made for nominals from Merseyside, Humberside, London and Bradford.

“The joint operation involved many teams including roads policing, intelligence, neighbourhood and plain clothes patrols. It resulted in 43 arrests and the closure of seven known graft lines used by gangs to supply drugs across the country.  

“As a force we are committed to working alongside partners and other forces to close these County Lines and protect vulnerable people. We will relentlessly target those crime groups who cowardly exploit vulnerable people in our communities.”

Detective Superintendent Rhod Troake said: “The impact on our communities that county lines drugs gangs have is the reason we will work in partnership with other forces and partnering agencies.

“We continue to do everything we can to disrupt these criminal networks, removing them and the drugs they supply and distribute, from our streets.

“I would like to thank those people who contact us with information about drug dealing and drug-related crime in our area. The information they provide helps inform us of the wider picture and enables us to work in joint county lines operations such as this with Merseyside Police.”

You can report any concerns to police on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or our social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC.

You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org