POLICE have arrested ten men and seized over £3,500 in cash, plus 60 wraps of drugs and a machete, during raids on 19 addresses in Wiltshire and Swindon as part of a crackdown on so-called County Lines gangs dealing in drugs.

As a result of the raids, officers identified and engaged with 13 vulnerable juveniles and 25 vulnerable adults living in properties which had been cuckoo’d or taken over by the gangs.

The raids were the focus of the latest County Lines activity by Wiltshire Police aimed at targeting out of county gangs who coerce and force vulnerable people into dealing drugs.

The welfare checks on the addresses took place between Monday, January 21 and Sunday, January 27 as part of a nationwide week lead by the National Crime Agency and National Police Chiefs' Council.

As a result of the raids, ten men were arrested and a total of over £3,500 in cash, approximately 60 wraps of drugs and a machete were also recovered during the week which included work by both the Dedicated Crime Team (DCT) and Community Policing Teams.

On Wednesday, January 23, officers from the DCT went to a property on Homington Avenue in Swindon to carry out welfare checks following reports of a dangerous drug network working from this address which had cuckoo'd the person who lived at the property.

Approximately 20-30 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, a machete, around £2,000 in cash and a number of mobile phones were discovered during the visit.

Three men were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs: 21-year-old from Plaistow, London, a 21-year-old from Gloucester and a 20-year-old from Waltham Forest, London were taken into custody but have now been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

In a separate operation on Thursday, January 17, three men were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs after their overdue hired Vauxhall Corsa was stopped in Upavon near Pewsey by officers suspecting the car was carrying drugs.

A 28-year-old, a 24-year-old and 50-year-old - all from Birmingham were arrested and have been released under investigation.

Subsequently two other men were arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs: a 23-year-old man of no-fixed address in Wiltshire and a 24-year-old man from Finchley, London. They have also been released under investigation.

Police said: “This operation was integral as part of our on-going work to close down a known County Lines link to Birmingham.”

On Monday, January 21, a 20-year-old man from Bristol was arrested on suspicion of affray and stealing a car following an incident in the Usher's Court area of Trowbridge. He has been released under investigation.

On Tuesday 22 January, officers from the Swindon Community Policing Teams conducted an operation working in partnership with the British Transport Police in a targeted operation at Swindon Railway Station.

Officers in uniform and plain clothed worked in the railway station looking for members of county lines gangs using the rail networks to transport drugs into Swindon.

On Wednesday January 23, 30-year-old Simnbar Mondhlani from Birmingham was arrested in Swindon and charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin as well as being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. He has been remanded in custody.

A/Sgt Chris Wickham, who led the operation from Wiltshire Police, said: “County Lines gangs are a real problem that is closer to home that some people might think. Young and vulnerable people living in our communities are being exploited by these gangs.

“The people purchasing the drugs, who are in themselves often vulnerable, regularly commit crime to fund their habit. Targeting those who operate in Wiltshire, intending to selling class A drugs remains a priority for us and we will carry on demonstrating that Swindon and Wiltshire is an unattractive place for those involved in county line drug dealing."

Head of Crime Prevention for Wiltshire Police Sonja Leith said: “County Lines is everyone’s responsibility and I would urge members of the public to be vigilant and look out for some of the most visible signs that drugs gangs are operating in neighbourhoods and to report this to us - your call could save lives.

“Together with our partner agencies across Swindon and Wiltshire, we work hard to identify where County Lines are exploiting vulnerable children and adults, to proactively disrupt these networks and to safeguard and protect those at risk of harm. The intelligence we receive from people in all of our communities is crucial in helping us, our partner agencies and neighbouring forces tackle this."