Man charged following County Lines operation

A man has been charged with drug offences following an operation targeting a gang suspected of supplying drugs and associated criminal activity in the Stevenage area.

Following an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary‘s Serious and Organised Crime Investigations Unit (SOCIU), a warrant was conducted at an address in Southeast London on Wednesday 13 May.

During the operation, which was supported by officers from the Metropolitan Police, a man was arrested and a large quantity of class A drugs (crack cocaine and heroin) was seized.

Mark Daniel, aged 20, of Timbercroft Lane, Southeast London, was arrested and later charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Detective Constable Daniel Wilde, from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigations Unit, said: “This operation was the culmination of months of work which targeted the ‘Alan’ drug line, suspected of supplying crack cocaine and heroin to the Stevenage area.

“These drug lines are run by organised crime groups who use violence and commit a whole range of crimes that pose a real threat to the community. Our investigations depend on information from members of the public to help us crack down on drug-related crime. Any information you can provide, no matter how small it may seem, could help us to identify and apprehend drug dealers.”

You can report information about a crime online at herts.police.uk/report or speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat, which can be launched here: herts.police.uk/contact. You also call the non-emergency number 101. If a crime is in progress call 999.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.