Eight XL bully dogs were seized along with hundreds of weapons and drugs worth millions of pounds during an operation against a county lines crime gang.
police More than 1,800 suspects arrested and 245 phone lines used for distribution shut down drug Last week, a series of seven-day raids were carried out across the country, from cities to towns and villages.
Vulnerable teenagers are often forced to work as couriers or tricked into participating in financial crimes, and officials say more than 1,600 of those exploited have been brought to safety.
Commander Paul Brogden, head of county lines for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), said: “We are targeting drug dealers who are destroying lives and communities and have arrested more than 1,800 criminals.
“The inter-county drug trade is linked to the most serious violence, as evidenced by the horrific weapons seizures this week, with 660 weapons seized including 96 firearms, 466 edged weapons and 98 other weapons , including hammers, nunchucks, batons and knuckledusters. “.
Police say they caught eight XL bullies last month become a criminal offense Possessed a dog without an exemption certificate and more than £2.5 million worth of Class A and Class B drugs including crack, heroin, cocaine and cannabis.
Eight XL bully dogs were seized. Data map: PA
Officers also visited more than 1,200 addresses occupied by so-called “cuckoos”, where vulnerable people are forced to allow criminals to use their homes as bases for storing or dealing drugs.
Police Minister Chris Philp said: “County lines criminal gangs use violence and intimidation to exploit children and vulnerable people to do their dirty work, causing horrific destruction and suffering.
“Our police force works extremely hard every day to disrupt these criminal networks and I would like to thank our officers for their continued efforts to combat this nefarious activity.”
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James Symonds-Reed, National Program Manager at The Children’s Society, said criminals were increasingly “targeting and manipulating” children into participating in financial crime.
“Sadly, financial exploitation is often associated with other forms of abuse,” he said.
“What starts as a promise of sharing bank details and easy access to cash can turn into threats of sexual abuse or forcing children to possess or transport drugs for criminal groups.
“This is a serious issue that requires attention to protect children from exploitation.
“Economic exploitation can happen to any child in any village, town or city, regardless of their background.
“While criminals don’t care about the children they target online through games and social media platforms or in places such as shops and cash machines, we know the public do care about keeping children safe.”
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