County Lines Drug Dealing
Hello everyone I wanted to bring you something different today but nonetheless something closely connected to an investigation which I am currently working on with a team.
Suspicious drug deals taking place
As I am sure many of you will be aware serious-level illegal drugs have really got a grip in the UK and it is big business for those at the top end of the chain, however for those further down the line it is a whole different world.
County lines drug dealing and smuggling is a massive business and a dangerous world for many concerned. Many vulnerable people and children are being roped into the dark, evil world. Dealers will frequently target the young and vulnerable, in particular, those with mental health issues and of course addictions they act as runners for the big gangs.
Children are being targeted more than ever because they can move around, and be seen in parks, on the streets and on public transport without any particular attention being paid to them. They are barely noticed by police and other law enforcement agencies as they are “just kids”.
So what is the meaning of “County Lines” when it comes to drugs?
Well, the National Police Chiefs’ Council's definition of a county line is “A term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas [within the UK], using dedicated mobile phone lines or other forms of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move [and store] the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons”.
There have been several cases reported whereby dealers have actually taken over properties that are lived in by vulnerable people and used to sell and use drugs, this is known as cuckooing.
People that become wrapped in these dreadful operations are exploited, mistreated, and abused mentally, physically and sexually. Some end up being trafficked to places miles away from their homes in order to grow and expand the drug dealing business. Some vulnerable people have found themselves living rough, encouraged by the “big voices of the chain” to camp out in order to sell drugs discreetly, whilst in public areas.
As part of my enquiries into drugs and exploitation, I spoke to a man who has been a user and addict for more than 25 years. He has become involved in stealing to feed his habit and even working with county lines gangs selling drugs (Shotting) in order to make money and to pay off debts that he ran up whilst he had been desperate to get still more drugs.
I will call my informer ‘Billy’ as I do not want him to be identified or come to harm as a result of my investigation.
Billy told me that he does not want to spend the rest of his life on drugs, he wants to be clean and live a good life before it is too late, but he fears that it may never happen. He was, at one time working for a county lines gang and was regularly attacked by other dealers and users, but none of the “big boys” ever showed up to help him when he was in danger.
At one point, Billy had been dealing on behalf of a county lines gang and the police caught up with the big names, the major suppliers of the chain and they were locked up. Within just a few days he received a call from an illicit mobile phone from within a prison, telling him where the money, mobile phone and paraphernalia are stashed and told he can reopen the line if he wants to. I am pleased to say that so far as I am aware Billy has seen that it would be a foolish move and has not taken up the offer thus far.
The big boys are still running their operation from prison and despite knowing that the telephone line is most likely being watched and monitored by police, they want Billy to risk being caught and jailed himself in order to keep their very lucrative and highly illegal business running.
I recently interviewed a vulnerable young woman who became mixed up with drugs and lost her children to foster care. Her lovely home was repossessed because of her addiction and she ended up in prison, then lived on the streets until an unscrupulous landlord gave her a room in a shabby, unlicensed house.
I will call this woman Lucy, once again to protect her identity and ultimately from the risk of harm coming to her. Lucy told me that whilst she had been living in the ‘shared house’ she had gone down to the kitchen to make food and found several people dealing and being served up class-A drugs, heroin and crack cocaine.
As a result of this, she was pulled further down and tried desperately to keep away from using the drugs and following her treatment programme of Methadone to get herself well again.
She had sexual advances pressed upon her and from time to time was put in a position of having to sell herself in order to have drugs and to satisfy the evil lust of the dealers who illegally used rooms in the house for dealing as part of a major county lines drug operation.
I am not able to disclose too much but, I can tell you that recently the house of ill repute was raided by the drugs squad and the operation at least temporarily closed down. I have no doubt it will simply move on and the line picked up by someone else, as the dreadful big names at the top of the chain will not be prepared to give up the high life that they enjoy from the sale of dangerous drugs.
Sadly drugs such as Heroin, crack cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine and other substances continue to press vulnerable victims that have started maybe “smoking weed” (cannabis) and been unfortunate enough to have obtained some mixed with a form of heroin and then they are addicted and selling their possessions, stealing or even selling sexual favours to feed an addiction from which they cannot escape.
So, How do you know if county lines drug dealers may be operating in your area?
Here are a few things to look out for:
A sudden increase in traffic to a property, such as a flat or shared house
New faces suddenly visiting a property
Changes in the way younger people you may know begin to dress
Often young people suddenly seem to be wearing expensive clothes & using expensive mobile devices
5. New and regular changes to residents (particularly with different accents compared to the local accents)
6. Young people or residents that you may know or recognise suddenly going missing for long periods
7. A sudden increase in anti-social behaviour in the area
As well as sexual exploitation county lines cut across a range of serious crimes, including modern slavery and human trafficking. People are being exploited using the county lines model to transport and sell more than drugs. Weapons, sex and money are also being traded in this way and it really must stop.
I am of the belief that a missing person investigation which I am heavily invested in may well have connections in county lines drugs and I feel it is quite possible that the female concerned may well have become embroiled in drugs, starting with cannabis and binge drinking and it has led on to other darker things.
Just prior to her disappearance the woman in question had begun taking a regular 20–25 minute train journey between her home town and another without a real reason and it seems possible that she may have been drawn into the murky world of class-A drugs and fallen foul of a county lines operation, I do hope that I am wrong.
I am sure some of my followers will know that I have worked quite extensively on some unsolved murders of street prostitutes, particularly in Norfolk and Suffolk UK and it saddens me to say that the women concerned lost their lives due to the fact they were heavily addicted to drugs and plying their trade in order to fund their habits.
I am in no way judging the victims I am frowning upon the dreadful people who ply the drugs upon young and often very vulnerable people, leaving them with no choice but to go deeper and deeper into darkness, with little or no way back.
I am not going to put this lightly but, if you believe that someone you know is being exploited by drug dealers or indeed is a dealer and could be involved in county lines then please pick up the phone, call 101 and speak to the police or contact Crimestoppers in complete confidentiality on 0800 555 111.
Recently a multi-agency county lines specialist coordination centre has been set up in the UK pooling the resources and skills of officers from the National Crime Agency, police and regional organised crime units in order to put together a national intelligence picture, and to bring action against the most serious offenders. Please help them to stop the next generation from being drawn into the dark and dangerous world of county lines drugs, prostitution and violent crime.
If you would like to discuss this article or indeed any of my work then do not hesitate to get in touch.
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