North Yorkshire Police has arrested 17 people and safeguarded vulnerable people during a week of targeted action.
The operation was to tackle county lines, the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.
Teams have executed warrants at addresses in York and North Yorkshire that are linked to drugs.
In York, police received a tip-off that a woman aged in her 50s from York was transporting runners in her vehicle.
Armed police stopped the vehicle. The woman was found with six wraps of what is believed to be crack cocaine concealed in her bra.
All three occupants of the car were arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs. The woman was released under investigation, and the other two occupants were released with no further action.
During a vulnerable person check in York, police found a wrap described as “the size a golf ball” which contained what is believed to be a Class A drug. An 18-year-old man from the West Yorkshire area and a 48-year-old woman from York were arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A.
Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Crossman-Smith who coordinated the week of activity in North Yorkshire, said: “Whilst we work all year to take drugs off the streets of North Yorkshire this week of intensification has brought some substantial results. By disrupting supply lines and taking those involved out of circulation we can make North Yorkshire’s communities safer.
“We can only do this with the support and information that we get from residents so 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.”
Other operations
The activity coincided with a national “week of intensification” which is led by the National Crime Agency. Police forces across the country have worked together on a joint initiative to tackle drug dealers and safeguard vulnerable people who are exploited by organised crime gangs.
The latest week of activity ran from Monday 7 March to Sunday 13 March.
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As well as the drugs busts, teams have also carried out several safeguarding visits to help prevent ‘cuckooing’ taking place – this is when County Lines drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person for a short time while they carry out their deals before returning to their town or city.
Harrogate
A vehicle of interest was sighted heading for Harrogate from West Yorkshire. The vehicle was stopped by police and the driver was searched. The driver was found to have 16 wraps of what is believed to be a class-A drug, three mobile phones and £350 in cash. The driver, a 30-year-old man from West Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A-drug.
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Scarborough
Police in Scarborough executed two drugs warrants. The first address resulted in the recovery of suspected cannabis, drug dealing equipment, cash and mobile phones. A 45-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis. The man was also arrested for possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. Following questioning, they were later released under investigation while enquiries continue.