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Taskforce set up to help close down county drug lines
04/02/2022
The Drugs Focus Taskforce is assisting local policing areas managing and disrupting county drug lines
A new police taskforce has been set up to help close down county drug lines and deliver disruption to organised crime groups. The taskforce’s work will combat county drug lines activity across the Thames Valley.
Primarily originating from London, Birmingham and Liverpool, its acknowledged that the spread of county drug lines has brought high levels of risk, violence and exploitation to local communities.
Until recently local policing areas have dealt with the management and investigation of county drug lines. However, since January, the Drugs Focus Taskforce has been able to assist local policing areas in the management and disruption of these county drug lines, together with resilient, home-grown drug lines that pose a significant risk to local communities or vulnerable individuals.
Taskforce lead Detective Chief Inspector Jessica Milne said: “Criminal county drugs lines activity has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.
“So, in order to achieve a holistic and systematic approach to combatting county drugs lines, the taskforce has been created.”
The taskforce aligns with the aims of the Home Office’s ten-year Harm to Hope Drug Strategy, which seeks to break the drug supply chain, deliver world-class treatment and recovery services, and achieve a generational shift in demand for drugs.
It will also seek to increase the use of ancillary orders to further tackle illegal activity related to drugs.
DCI Milne added: “We want to utilise the four Ps: pursue, prepare, protect and prevent, to target and disrupt offenders as well as safeguarding those who are exploited.
“We want to make the Thames Valley a hostile environment for drugs activity.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam