Suella joins police as 1,600 county lines suspects held

MORE than 1,600 suspected members of county lines drug dealing gangs have been arrested in one week across England and Wales.

- Margaret Davis

Home Secretary Suella Braverman joined officers in Coventry as they carried out raids and arrests.

Class A drugs worth £1.2million - plus the same amount in cash and more than 220lbs of cannabis were seized in the two countries over the week.

A total of 710 people, including 58 children, were referred to safeguarding services as possible victims of exploitation by gangs.

Blight

County lines refers to urban-based drug dealers who operate in rural areas using dedicated phone lines to take customer orders.