County Lines

County Lines

County lines is the name given to drug dealing where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs, usually from cities into smaller towns and rural areas.

They exploit vulnerable people, including children and those with mental health or addiction issues, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs. This is often referred to as ‘drug running’. Criminals may also use a vulnerable person’s home as their base of operations. This is known as ‘cuckooing’.

Signs to look out for

There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is involved in county lines:

repeatedly going missing from school or home and being found in other areas

having money, new clothes or electronic devices and they can't explain how they paid for them

getting high numbers of texts or phone calls, being secretive about who they're speaking to

decline in school or work performance

significant changes in emotional or physical well-being

Report it

Is it an emergency?

Call 999 now in emergency situations like these:

a child, or anyone else, is in immediate danger

someone is using violence or is threatening to be violent

a crime is happening right now

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Message Sent By
Chris Stone
(Staffordshire Police, PCSO, Stoke North)