Police seize gold bars, teeth and guns in unusual' drug gang crackdown

"We did have an unusual seizure, we had a gold bar seized. I think it might be just indicative of the type of criminal lifestyle some of these drug dealers want to lead, the sort of bragging rights and things."

"This is a crime and it's one of the most dangerous crimes in terms of exploiting children. It's a really dangerous environment for children to get involved in, but these criminals do try and coercively control them."

"Mr Brogden said social media is increasingly being used to entice children into drug dealing, with offers of trainers and football shirts. The officer explained that young people are being targeted with informal posts offering money-making opportunities, almost like a job application, with Snapchat the most prevalent platform."

A major police operation against drug gangs resulted in over 2,000 arrests, with approximately 10% of those detained being children, some as young as 14 years old. Officers closed 335 suspected drug lines supplying heroin, cocaine, and spice-laced vapes across multiple towns and cities. The seizures included unusual items such as gold bars, gold suitcases, and gold teeth, alongside firearms and large quantities of cash. County lines gangs exploit vulnerable individuals by using dedicated phone lines to transport and sell drugs. Social media platforms, particularly Snapchat, are increasingly used to recruit children into drug dealing through informal job-like offers of money and merchandise. Police commanders emphasized the dangerous nature of these operations and the coercive control tactics employed by predominantly male gang members.

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