Thames Valley Police set up taskforce to tackle county drugs lines

A police taskforce has been created to combat county drugs lines activity in the Thames Valley.

Thames Valley Police said the spread of county drugs lines within the area’s towns and cities, primarily originating from London, Birmingham and Liverpool, had brought high levels of risk, violence and exploitation to local communities.

Until recently, the management and investigation of these county drugs lines have mainly been run by individual local policing areas.

However, since January, the Drugs Focus Taskforce has been able to assist local policing areas in the management and disruption of these county drugs lines as well as resilient, home-grown drug lines that pose a significant risk to 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.

The taskforce will help to close down county drug lines and deliver major and moderate disruption to organised crime groups.

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.”