County lines activity and the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.
The most common drugs involved are heroin and cocaine (crack and powder), but also MDMA, cannabis and amphetamines. Three county lines drug dealers who used vulnerable teenagers as runners in a coastal city have been jailed in a "landmark case". We find evidence of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) in County Lines activity, often as a result of debt bondage; but also, cases of young people working the lines of their own volition to obtain financial and status rewards. to smaller towns in order to make more money. Where a 'County Lines' case proceeds on drug trafficking charges, for example, if an NRM referral is made a modern slavery crime must also be recorded. County Lines is a very serious issue where criminal gangs set up a drug dealing operation in a place outside their usual operating area. County lines commonly involves the illegal distribution and dealing of seriously dangerous drugs from one city/town to another. In a week of UK-wide crackdowns on county lines gangs, more than 700 people have been arrested and more than £400,000-worth of drugs have been confiscated. Gangs recruit and use children and young people to move drugs and money for them.
What is child criminal exploitation? This can have a really big effect on the community who live there and bring with it serious criminal behaviour. Gangs will move their drug dealing from big cities (e.g. London, Manchester, Liverpool etc.)