A joint operation to tackle gangs who exploit vulnerable young people saw several people being stopped at the train station.
Plain-clothed and uniformed officers were deployed as part of their work to prevent drugs gangs exploiting vulnerable young people in an attempt to catch people bringing drugs in or out of the city.
Officers from Nottinghamshire Police and British Transport Police teamed up for the operation, which continues to take place at frequent points throughout the year.
They engaged with a number of people at Nottingham railway station and were looking for those who take drugs from the city to more rural destinations. The hope is that, by engaging with young people involved in this type of criminality, it will help them break away from the influence of other gang members, where they may feel pressured into transporting drugs for them.
Detective Sergeant Jo Eaton, from Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated county lines team, said: “Generally what will happen on a county line is that young people will be exploited to deal drugs, catch trains out of the area and travel to different areas outside of Nottinghamshire to sell drugs for the line.
“We are regularly in the city, looking to spot vulnerable young people, raise awareness of county lines, talk to anybody we feel is vulnerable or taking part in county lines, and just to really understand why they’re here and offer them some support to take them out of that world.
“In particular, as part of County Lines Intensification Week, we always look to work with partners like the British Transport Police to tackle this head on.
“On this occasion, no arrests were made, but we did engage with young people, which is hugely important in our work to tackle county lines.
“During these regular operations, we not only seek to make arrests and recover drugs, but also look to identify and safeguard vulnerable young people who are potentially victims of criminal exploitation.”
“If you feel like there’s something suspicious about an individual, or you’re concerned that a young person is travelling on their own, please contact British Transport Police. In an emergency you can call 999, or if it isn’t an emergency, call the 101 number.
“Always report anything suspicious – it is key to getting that message about county lines out there.”
Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams, BTP’s county lines taskforce lead, said: “This joint operation with Nottinghamshire Police at Nottingham station is a prime example of our partnership work taking place routinely across the UK, to disrupt the county lines business model.
“Working together is crucial to reducing harm, by stopping organised criminals distributing harmful drugs and bringing dangerous weapons into communities.
“We are continually developing and sharing our intelligence picture and changing our tactics to dismantle their criminal operations, and we’ll continue to work with our partners to crack down on this crime type wherever it occurs.”
