An operation targeting the supply of drugs in Kent resulted in 34 arrests and the seizure of vast quantities of cocaine, heroin, cash and weapons.
Kent Police participated in the national county lines intensification week that ran from Monday 25 November to Sunday 1 December 2024, with illegal substances valued at up to £120,000 being removed from the county’s streets.
Officers also seized around £110,000 in cash, 14 weapons including knives and knuckledusters, two imitation firearms and 16 mobile phones suspected of being used to sell drugs. A total of 22 suspected offenders have since been charged with 69 separate offences.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Rabey of Kent Police said:
‘County lines are drug supply networks that bring misery to communities in the form of antisocial behaviour and violence, and the results from this operation demonstrate our commitment to dismantling the criminal gangs responsible and putting them behind bars.
‘We simply do not tolerate this type of activity in Kent and remain dedicated to clearing illegal substances and the people who supply them from our streets, for the benefit of everyone who lives, works and visits here.’
Police successes from the week include:
- A total of around £37,000 cash was seized from two addresses searched in the Snodland area. 39 and 29-year-old men were arrested and charged with class A and B drug supply offences and possession of criminal property. Both have since been remanded in custody.
- A diamond-encrusted gold chain and around £5,000 cash was found hidden inside a shoe at a property searched in the Southwark area of south-east London, linked to the supply of drugs in west Kent. Officers arrested a man aged 31, at the location and he has since been charged with being concerned in the supply of multiple illegal substances including cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.
- Officers stopped a suspicious vehicle in Grosvenor Place, Margate and seized 86 wraps of class A drugs along with a machete, three mobile phones and £100 in cash. A man aged 30, from Birmingham, a man of 26, from Thamesmead, south-east London, and a 27-year-old woman from Birmingham, were arrested at the scene and have all since been charged with drug supply offences.
- A search warrant was carried out in Gravesend, resulting in the arrest and charge of a 23-year-old man from the town for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis and possession of criminal property. Officers seized up to £7,000 worth of cocaine from the address along with up to £5,000 of cannabis, around £20,000 cash and an extendable baton.
Throughout the week Kent Police also identified 10 vulnerable people including two children believed to have been exploited by criminal gangs, all of whom have been provided with safeguarding and support.
DCI Rabey said:
‘Stopping the exploitation perpetrated by county lines gangs is a priority for policing and we encourage members of the public to come forward with information to help us protect the most vulnerable in society.
‘These gangs use grooming tactics like buying children food or clothes to win their trust and make them feel indebted, and it is therefore important that everyone recognises the signs of exploitation and reports any concerns to the police or another trusted organisation such as a school, charity or local authority.
‘Examples can include a child travelling alone during school hours or late at night, looking lost or in unfamiliar surroundings, or being in possession of unexplained new items such as expensive trainers, jewellery or mobile phones.’
Visit the Kent Police website for further information and advice around child criminal exploitation.