Eighteen arrested in Lincolnshire county lines drugs crackdown
Cuckooing involves individuals or gangs manipulating vulnerable people to gain access to their properties for drug operations.
Det Supt Kerry Webb said: "These gangs use runners, often vulnerable people, to deliver the drugs."It is exploitative and often violent. The networks are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence - including sexual violence - and weapons."She said four children and 23 adults who were being exploited had been safeguarded.Tyreece Moran, 22, of Brooksby Lane, Nottingham, was charged with being involved in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin in the Grantham area, and exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. He was remanded into custody.The force said £2,215 in cash and £5,000 in counterfeit notes had been confiscated, along with two vehicles, air rifles, a pistol and 13,700 grams of tobacco.County lines is the term used to describe drug-dealing networks connecting urban and rural areas, using phone lines across the UK.Ms Webb added: "Our communities play a huge part in the success of cracking down on this by providing much-needed intelligence around drug-dealing, suspicious activity, or vulnerability, and we would encourage people to continue to do this."
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