27 arrested across Scarborough, Whitby, Harrogate and Ripon as police tackle county lines drug dealing

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, taking its name from the mobile phone lines used by dealers to communicate between towns and advertise their drugs for sale.

During the high intensity week of action between October 3 and 9, officers arrested 27 people 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 more than £5,000 in cash and £10,000 in what is suspected drugs, with arrests made in Harrogate, Ripon, York, Selby, Whitby, Scarborough and Filey.

Det Chief Insp 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.

“Our teams are out and about conducting warrants and intercepting the supply of drugs week in week out.

“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.”

The arrests across North Yorkshire

Officers detained a man in Harrogate who was suspected to be delivering drugs from his vehicle.

He was found to be in possession of approximately £1,500 worth of cannabis and approximately £500 in cash.

The 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class-B drug and driving while under the influence of drugs.

The man was released under investigation for further enquiries to allow the valuation of the drugs seized.

Officers suspected that a drug deal had just been conducted in a vehicle in the Jennyfields area of Harrogate.

One man was detained in the vehicle, but the passenger managed to flee from the police.

After a foot chase and an extensive area search, officers successfully detained and arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of supplying a class-A drug, suspected to be heroin.

The first occupant a 43-year-old man was arrested for possession of a class A drug.

Both men were released pending further investigation to allow for the drugs to be forensically tested for classification.

Later that night officers detained a man from Manchester on Wetherby Road in Harrogate.

He was suspected to be in the area dealing drugs.

Officers conducted a search of the man and his vehicle and located approximately 30 individual packets of suspected cocaine.

The 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of intent to supply a class-A drug.

He was released under investigation to allow for the drugs to be forensically tested for classification.

Six people were arrested on the Yorkshire Coast.

Officers worked with the British Transport Police to target drug supply on the train network, with a dedicated operation set up with the Humberside police road crime team to intercept vehicles involved in drug supply between Humberside and North Yorkshire.

Officers conducted the execution of a warrant at a property in Whitby.

Several quantities of what is suspected to be magic mushrooms, cocaine, and cannabis (edibles, herbal & resin) were found.

Officers also found tablets which are suspected to be a class-A drugs and class-C drugs.

A quantity of cash and a knife were also found in the property.

A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of procession with intent to supply.

He was interviewed and released under investigation pending further investigation.

A warrant was executed at a property in Scarborough.

A large bag of what is believed to be cocaine, with a street value of approximately £2,000, was thrown from a window when officers forced entry.

During the search, officers recovered deal bags, cash, two mobile phones and further wrap of white powder.

This wrap has been field tested and confirmed to be cocaine.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class-A drug.

He was charged with concerned in offer to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cocaine.

He was recalled to prison due to previous offending.

In total 11 warrants were executed on the coast at addresses linked with drugs and county lines.