Police take to the railway to stop drugs being transported on the tracks

A recent police exercise saw officers team up with British Transport Police (BTP) to sniff out drugs and disrupt county lines activity on the transport network.

The focus was on deterring organised crime groups from transporting illegal substances into smaller towns, as well as safeguarding the vulnerable people exploited into carrying them.

This illegal activity is known as county lines.

During the exercise officers and passive drugs dog ‘Jasper’ carried out high-visibility patrols in the carriages of trains bound for South East Cornwall from Plymouth.

PD Jasper was also positioned at ticket barriers to sniff out the presence of drugs on anyone entering or leaving the train station.

The exercise resulted in eight train stations being patrolled, three seizures of drugs and one knife taken off the street.

An initiative led by BTP saw drug amnesty bins placed in the entrances of train stations which resulted in two people disposing of illegal substances before boarding the trains.

Inspector Ned Bowie, who headed up the team of neighbourhood police officers involved, said: “Whilst the impact of this prevention work is not something we can easily measure, its importance is undeniable.

“I am confident that this work has helped to deter and disrupt drug use and supply in our communities, showing criminals that we are taking these crimes seriously, we are being robust, and we are carrying out unpredictable activity to identify those breaking the law.”

In addition to the exercise, officers in Liskeard, Saltash, Torpoint and Looe carried out 116 hours of high-visibility patrols which included areas where drug crime had been reported previously. A number of visits also took place to safeguard individuals vulnerable to county lines exploitation.

In a message directed to the public, Insp Bowie added: “Please report any information you have to the police. You are the eyes and ears on the streets - the more you tell us about crime, the more action we can take to tackle it.”

BTP Detective Inspector Brian Buddo said: “Intelligence-led operations like these, delivered alongside our police partners, form a core part of our work to tackle County Lines drug supply and arrest offenders.

“No area or community is immune to this criminality, and the harmful drugs being peddled across the country tear communities apart, destroying the lives of the most vulnerable in society.

“Our dedicated County Lines Taskforce deploy on the rail network every day in uniform and plain clothes to target drug supply, as well as identify and safeguard children exploited to move drugs between locations.  

“We urge the travelling public who spot the signs of drug dealing or child exploitation to report it to us by texting 61016.”

This exercise, which took place on Wednesday 26 November, formed part of Op Scorpion 13, a national initiative tackling drug crime.

If you see a crime taking place at a train station or on the railway, report it to British Transport Police online.

For any other non-emergencies, report it to Devon & Cornwall Police.

If it is an emergency, always call 999.