Mansfield home raided in county lines drugs operation which saw three men arrested

In the small hours of Thursday, July 29, police teams lined up to simultaneously swoop on three properties in Arnold and two others in Bestwood and Mansfield.

The coordinated raids resulted in three men, aged 20, 22 and 26, being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

The successful operation targeted and disrupted an established drug supply network run from Arnold involving the exploitation of children to sell Class A drugs and to carry and use weapons in support of their criminal activities.

It is believed the county lines enterprise was exporting drugs into the Ilkeston area of Derbyshire.

County lines is a term used to describe urban gangs supplying drugs to other parts of the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines. The gangs are likely to exploit children or vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and they will often use violence and coercion.

This is a national issue and Nottinghamshire Police has been working to identify criminal gangs; protect vulnerable people at risk of exploitation and carry out enforcement and disruption activity targeting those who pose the most risk to the local community.

Today’s positive enforcement activity involved the force’s dedicated county lines team, CID, Operation Reacher and Gedling neighbourhood policing teams all working together.

Warrants were carried out at properties in Edison Way, Thrapstone Avenue and Bond Street in Arnold, Longfellows Drive in Bestwood and Redruth Drive, in Mansfield.

Detective Inspector Nikki Smith, the force’s county lines lead, said: “As a force we are determined to make Nottinghamshire a hostile place for criminals involved in county lines which exploits some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“We know county lines activity is closely linked to violence and organised crime on our streets.”

Anyone who has concerns or sees anything suspicious is urged to report directly to Nottinghamshire Police by calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency call 999.

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