Dozens of people have been arrested after police targeted county lines criminals across Cheshire.
Many of those arrested and charged are from Merseyside and are thought to be connected to drug offences as well as some being in possession of a knife and driving offences. Cheshire police say they have recovered 497 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin, 17 wraps of cannabis, almost 1kg of cocaine and valued at an approximate total of £69,000 as well as £27,000 in cash seized.
Officers also recovered 63 mobile phones, three vehicles, seven knives and eight other weapons including an air pistol and air rifle. Addresses were also identified as being linked to cuckooing – a term used to describe how organised crime groups either befriend, manipulate or force themselves into the homes lived in by vulnerable people in order to use the property to store and sell heroin and crack cocaine.
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The week of action, tackling county lines drug dealing, ran from Monday, October 3 to Sunday, October 9 and was part of a national focus co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs Council.
Detective Inspector Amber Hodson said: "Protecting and preventing young children and vulnerable adults from organised crime gangs who go out of their way to exploit them continues to be one of our top priorities. We work closely with the local authority to educate, warn and inform young children, their parents and teachers by visiting schools to give talks and presentations of the signs to look out for and how to protect themselves.
"We also work with charities to identify and visit adults in our community who we think could be most vulnerable and a target for organised crime groups. We’re able to offer them the support they need and further prevent them from becoming a victim of exploitation."
Below is a list of people charged and arrested during the county lines drug dealing week of action:
- Alan Grimes, aged 54, from Brentfield in Widnes has been charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday 7 October.
- Anthony Beck, aged 53, of Bridgewater Street in Runcorn has been charged with supplying cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 October.
- Craig Kenny, 21, of Norton Street in Bootle has been charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Wirral Magistrates Court on 30 September.
- Alan Keddie, 44, of Hungerford Road in Crewe has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Crewe Magistrates Court on Saturday 8 October.
- Mohammed Miah, 27 of Samuel Street in Crewe has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Crewe Magistrates Court on Saturday 8 October.
- Benjamin Reid, 29, of Walthall Street in Crewe has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Crewe Magistrates Court on Saturday 8 October.
- McKenzie Sadler, aged 20, of Aldgate in Ellesmere Port has been charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday 7 October.
- Kyle Williams, aged 22, of no fixed address, has been charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and was remanded in custody. He appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Saturday 8 October.
- Samuel Sommerville, 18, of Bridge Street in Macclesfield has been charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin and concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on 29 September.
- Jamie Gorst, aged 30, of Dignum Mead in Liverpool has been charged with supplying cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 October.
- Oliver Forshaw, 27, of no fixed address has been charged with possession of a knife. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on 5 October.
- Lee Thomas, 50, of no fixed address has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at the complex case adult remand court on 4 October.
- Rebecca Gordon, 30, of Compton Road in Liverpool has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin and possession of cannabis. She was remanded and appeared at the complex case adult remand court on 4 October.
- Lee Nimmo, 33, of Rugby Road in Liverpool has been charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin. He was remanded in custody and appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on 29 September.
- A 16-year-old boy from Widnes was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis and has been released on conditional bail.
- A 25-year-old man from Merseyside was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and has been released under investigation.
- A 33-year-old man from Merseyside was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and has been released under investigation.
- A-39-year-old man, of Vineyard Way in Widnes, was arrested in suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine. He has been released under investigation.
- A 20-year-old man from Widnes was arrested on suspicion of supplying heroin and has been released under investigation.
- A 24-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and has been released under investigation.
- A 22-year-old man from Crewe was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a class C drug and has been released under investigation.
- A 29-year-old man from Crewe was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply a class C drug and has been released under investigation.
- A 45-year-old man from Warrington was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and has since been released under investigation.
- A 49-year-old man from Warrington was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and has been released under investigation.
- A 40-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin and has been released on conditional bail.
- A 26-year-old man from Merseyside was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug and has been released under investigation.
- A 19-year-old man, from Halewood, was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug and has been released under investigation.
- A 40-year-old woman from Chester was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a knife and has been released under investigation.
- A 30-year-old man from Litherland was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis and has been released under investigation.
- A 32-year-old man from Litherland was arrested on suspicion of crack cocaine and cannabis and has been released under investigation.
- A 22-year-old man from Chester was arrested on suspicion of possession of crack cocaine and has been released under investigation.
- A 30-year-old from Litherland was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis and has been released under investigation.
- A 37-year-old woman from Warrington was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and has been released under investigation.
- An 18-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and has been released on conditional bail.
- A 26-year-old man from Huyton in Merseyside was arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle and has been released under investigation.
- A 28-year-old woman from Warrington was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and has been released under investigation.
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