Shropshire county lines crackdown: £310,000 of drugs seized, guns and knives confiscated and 22 arrests in a week
More than £300,000 worth of drugs have been seized as well as weapons including pistols in a county lines crackdown in Shropshire.
West Mercia Police arrested 22 people across the county and seized two vehicles, 24 phones and around £2,400 in cash last week.
It was part of the national County Lines Intensification Week in which officers carry out targeted operations to get dealers off the streets. Officers say the work has helped close two county lines in the West Mercia region.
In Telford, officers were out on the beat doing covert patrols in "hotspot" areas including Woodside, Brookside, Sutton Hill and Wellington, working off intelligence and carrying out stop/searches.
"We've been out patrolling areas where we believe that drug dealing and supply is taking place," said Detective Sergeant Andrew Pond. "We carry out surveillance in the area to ensure we obtain the best evidence.
"Whilst we were in Woodside doing these patrols, we did 12 stop and searches and made one arrest on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. Two mobile phones were seized, one we believe was linked to a county line. That will be sent for forensic examination."
