North Wales Police have arrested two men from Liverpool on suspicion of ‘county lines’ drug dealing after their vehicle was stopped in Bethesda.
Officers from the Western Priority Crime Team and Roads Policing stopped the vehicle on Thursday as part of ‘Op Rattle’ – North Wales Police’s investigation into the supply and distribution of controlled drugs in North Wales by Organised Crime Groups, from large cities like Liverpool and Manchester, also known as ‘county lines’.
Two men, 59 and 26, from Liverpool were arrested for drugs related offences and are in police custody after suspected heroin & crack cocaine was seized.
County lines activity and the associated violence, drug dealing and exploitation has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.
North Wales Police Chief Constable Carl Foulkes has made tackling the problem of county lines one of his main priorities.
Mr Foulkes said: “We do suffer from organised crime and we are seeing evermore a better understanding of the impact of organised crime and the link to county lines specifically, where we have young people, vulnerable people who can’t support themselves that are being targeted and abused by organised crime gangs.
“I want to make us more preventative. I think policing has become quite reactive in its approach, and I want to start solving the problems that are affecting our communities, to build a long term legacy for the future.”
