Over 1,100 gang leaders charged as police close 2,300 drug lines
A record number of county lines gang leaders have been charged in the past year, as police across England and Wales shut down more than 2,300 drug ‘deal lines’ – the highest annual total since the government’s County Lines Programme began in 2019.
The Home Office confirmed that 1,120 senior gang members have been charged since July 2024, thanks to targeted policing on key transport routes and new investment in automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology.
According to research by the London School of Economics, stabbings in areas most affected by county lines have fallen by almost 20% over the same period – evidence, ministers say, that the strategy is cutting violent crime.
Protecting children from exploitation
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones, who joined a recent operation in Merseyside, said the government would continue to “relentlessly go after” gangs exploiting vulnerable children to run drugs across county borders.
“The exploitation of children and vulnerable people in this way is disgusting and cowardly,” she said. “County lines gangs are driving knife crime in our communities, and we will not let them get away with it. These results show that our Plan for Change is working – but we’re going further than ever to stop this evil trade.”
New offences to toughen punishment
The government plans to introduce three new criminal offences under the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill:
- Criminal exploitation of children, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years.
- Coerced internal concealment, also punishable by up to 10 years.
- Cuckooing, the takeover of vulnerable people’s homes, carrying a 5-year maximum sentence.
These new powers will strengthen efforts to protect children and give police sharper tools to identify and punish exploiters.
Support for victims and prevention work
Alongside record enforcement, more than 3,200 children and vulnerable people have been referred to support services through the County Lines Support and Rescue Service, run by social enterprise Catch22, which provides specialist one-to-one help for victims.
Kate Wareham, Strategic Director at Catch22, said: “County lines exploitation can have devastating consequences. By building trusted relationships and providing long-term, wraparound support, we help young people break free from exploitation and rebuild their lives.”
In Merseyside, Everton in the Community has also been working with police and charities to prevent youth involvement in drug networks. Chief Executive Sue Gregory said the club’s outreach programmes were giving young people “positive futures and pathways they may have previously thought were out of reach.”
£43 million drive to dismantle networks
The government has invested £43 million this year in the County Lines Programme, focusing on the five police force areas with the highest activity – including West Midlands Police – alongside the British Transport Police.
Officials say the funding is already delivering results, breaking up organised crime groups, cutting knife violence, and helping thousands of young people escape gang exploitation.
