Suspected drug dealers arrested and substances worth around £1,800 seized during intensification week

Officers across Dyfed-Powys Police arrested two men, visited 19 previous victims vulnerable to exploitation and educated over 500 children during a week of targeted action to disrupt county lines.

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

The activity has coincided with a national “week of intensification” which is led by the National Crime Agency.

In Dyfed-Powys, our highlights include:

• Two men stop searched in Aberystwyth and charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply
• 18g of cocaine, worth £1,800, seized during a warrant
• Metal pole seized from suspected drug dealers that would likely be used as a weapon
• 19 previous victims of cuckooing – where a dealer takes over their home to supply drugs – visited for welfare checks and engagement
• Talks and lessons about county lines and exploitation given to over 1,000 children
• Boxwise London diversionary scheme launched for children to safely try new activities

 

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Roberts, operational drugs lead said: “The outcome of our response to the national County Lines Intensification Week is evidence of our commitment to protect our communities from exploitation and harm.

“Working with our communities and partners we identify the most vulnerable areas and people in our community, together with those exploiting them and committing this county lines criminality.

“Dyfed-Powys has a clear strategy and delivery plan to tackle county lines and serious and organised crime.

“Our continued success in pursuing criminals is evident. We have an established, committed, designated resource – INTACT* – that prevents young people from getting involved in crime, prepares the community to be vigilant and protects those vulnerable to exploitation in our communities.

“INTACT was instrumental in delivering a successful intensification period.”

One part of INTACT’s involvement in the intensification week was to organise a range of events  aimed at educating young people about the risks County Lines presents and allowing them to try new, safe, activities.

Rachel O’Neill, Serious Violence and Organised Crime Coordinator, said: “We offered alternative activities not only to keep young people safe, but to enable them to have fun, build new skills and form positive relationships with role models already working in their local area.

“One example of this is a partnership with Boxwise London to deliver free boxing diversionary activities for young people in our communities.

“The sessions were launched during County Lines Intensification Week and will be running for the next 10 weeks in Llanelli, Pembroke Dock, Letterson, Llandysul and Brecon.

“If you are keen to get involved and join in with these sessions please contact your local police station.”

The INTACT Partnership Programme was introduced in January 2021. The programme consists of a

number of cross-department work strands and is ultimately the mechanism to deliver ‘Prepare,

Protect and Prevent’ work across the thematic areas that make up Serious Violence and Organised

Crime (SVOC). The programme is integral to delivering the Central Government Serious and Organised Crime

Strategy, (2018), Serious Violence Strategy (2018) and the National Vulnerability Action Plan. With the Serious Violence (SV) Duty being introduced in late 2022 / early 2023, the programme will play an

important part in enabling Dyfed-Powys Police and partners to discharge their duties within the Police and Crime Bill.

The primary objectives of the INTACT programme are:

1. To provide an early intervention & prevention service to protect those most at risk of engaging in SVOC as victims or offenders.
2. To provide training, awareness, and problem-solving opportunities to communities to become ‘intelligent’.
3. To support the planning, delivery and evaluation of operations and intensification periods across the force area.
4. To develop practice, resilience, and relationships across the Neighbourhood Policing model.
5. In partnership, understand the scale of SVOC threats, putting measures in place to mitigate risk, designing out vulnerabilities.