As reports rise, campaign warns of County Lines drug gang exploitation

We are helping to tackle violent County Lines drug gang activity in a new campaign that highlights the red flag signs to spot.

The campaign comes as our charity has seen a rise in the number of reports. 

In the 12 months leading to August this year across the UK, we received almost 4,000 anonymous reports from concerned members of the public specifically mentioning suspected ‘County Lines’ activity. 
 
This is a 10% increase compared to the same period the year before.

This is a snapshot of the wider drugs issue, as many people who pass on information about drugs and drug dealing may not mention the term County Lines.

Give information 100% anonymously.
  

Our new campaign warns that organised gangs are targeting young and vulnerable people who are trafficked, groomed and exploited into selling and ’running’ drugs. Those exploited often do not realise that they are victims or that they have been groomed. They are offered gifts of money, clothes and food and feel loyal to those grooming them in return for couriering illegal drugs and money across cities, towns and villages. 

Once trust has been gained and a lifestyle of luxury has been sold, loyalty is put to the test. It starts with asking the young person for favours, with the gang offering a sense of family and protection. This often leads to them being exploited by becoming trapped through fear, debt bondage, trafficking, isolation from family and friends and physical, psychological and sexual abuse. 

We are encouraging anyone with information about organised drug gangs - to contact our charity 100% anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 at any time or by completing a secure online form on our Crimestoppers website or via Fearless.org, our charity’s Fearless service for young people, where more can also be learnt about the warning signs of County Lines activity. 

Signs to spot

Anybody can get caught up in illegal, harmful drug activity. Signs that something may not be right include:
 -           Changes in the way young people you know might dress and unexplained
             sometimes unaffordable, new clothes, jewellery, phones
 -           Access to multiple phones/receiving excess phone calls or texts
 -           You witness them dealing drugs
 
Criminals can take over a home for short term let as a drugs base which is known as ‘cuckooing’: 
 -           Regular short stay visitors 
 -           Residents or young people going missing, maybe for long periods of time
 -           Curtains often closed throughout the day
 -           A change of their mood/demeanour (e.g. secretive/withdrawn/    
              aggressive/emotional)
 -           Unusual frequency of takeaway food 
 -           Increase in rubbish and drug paraphernalia
 
 
Please note: With Fearless.org and Crimestoppers-uk.org, computer IP addresses are never traced, and no-one will ever know you contacted our charity. For telephone calls via 0800 555 111, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.
 

Find out more information about County Lines. 
 

17 September 2024