County Lines

County lines is the term used to describe urban gangs supplying drugs to other parts of the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines. The gangs are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money. To do this they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence and weapons and they generally focus on supplying Class A drugs like heroin or crack cocaine.

An operating base is an essential feature of county lines gangs. They will regularly exploit vulnerable people, by building up a debt or using threats and violence to take over a person’s home. This practice is commonly referred to as ‘cuckooing’.