Watch: Police raid suspected drug dealers as crackdown sees ten people arrested in York and Selby
North Yorkshire Police have arrested 27 people during a week-long crackdown on “county lines” drug dealing.
They were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences ranging from the possession of controlled substances through to being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.
Two bladed weapons were recovered as well as over £5,000 in cash and suspected drugs worth £10,000.
The arrests took place in York, Selby, Harrogate, Ripon, Whitby, Scarborough and Filey.
Police have released body armour footage of one of the raids, above.
It was part of a week of action from 3-9 October, coordination nationwide by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC).
In York and Selby, ten people arrested.
Officers in York conducted proactive cycle and plain clothes patrols in drug dealing hotspots.
On Monday a 20-year-old man was sighted in York passing an item to another person in a suspected drugs deal.
He was detained for the purpose of a search. The man was found to have three wraps of what is suspected to be a class-A drug and a quantity of cash.
He was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a class a drug. Further searches in custody found £640 in cash and two further wraps of what is suspected to be a class-A drug. He was released with conditional bail not to enter North Yorkshire.
In Selby, officers attended an address to conduct a welfare check. A 19-year-old man from West Yorkshire was found to be at the address.
He was arrested on suspicion of concerned in the supply of drugs. A search was carried out and a quantity of cash was found in his clothing.
A bag of white powder which is suspected to be cocaine with a street value of £2,100, was also found in the address. He was interviewed and bailed with conditions not to enter North Yorkshire.
A 32-year-old man who is also linked to the address was arrested nearby. He was later interviewed and released under investigation pending further investigation.
There were 11 arrests across Harrogate, Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire.
And six people were arrested on the North Yorkshire coast.
Vulnerable people
County lines is the name given to a form of organised crime in which drug dealers from larger cities exploit vulnerable people – including children – and force them to deal drugs in smaller towns and cities.
During the week, the police worked with partner agencies to carry out welfare visits to vulnerable adults who are known or suspected as being vulnerable to county lines exploitation.
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Simpson who supported the coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire Police said: “Although this is a fantastic set of results from the last seven days, it’s important to stress that this is very much business as usual for North Yorkshire Police.
“Out teams are out and about conducting warrants and intercepting the supply of drugs week in week out.
“Drug use has serious implications on people’s health and impacts on the quality of life for communities.
“We will not tolerate the use of drugs in our county. I would urge anyone with information about drug dealing in their community to call us on 101, we treat every piece of information as important.”
You can find out more about county lines drug dealing and how to spot the signs on the North Yorkshire Police website.