Officers arrest nine people during County Lines Intensification Week in Basingstoke

Officers arrested nine people and disrupted drugs lines during County Lines Intensification Week in Basingstoke.

The week of intensification, which ran from Monday 25 November until Sunday 1 December, saw officers focus their efforts on County Lines.

County Lines is a term used to describe organised criminal networks who move illegal drugs out of larger cities into smaller towns and cities in the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines.

They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence and weapons.

During the intensification week, the Basingstoke Priority Crime Team and Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out proactive warrants, operations, patrols and stop checks.

Some of the highlights are below:

• On Monday 25 November, officers carried out two warrants on Cherry Tree Walk and Hailstone Road in Basingstoke. We located 20 wraps of suspected crack cocaine, cannabis and drug paraphernalia at the address on Cherry Tree Walk. A 23-year-old woman from Basingstoke was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug, being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug and possessing a controlled drug of Class B. She has been bailed, pending further enquiries. Officers seized two lock knives and phones which will be used to build up intelligence following the warrant on Hailstone Road.
• On Tuesday 26 November, officers spotted suspicious behaviour on Maple Crescent and searched a man riding an e-scooter. Following the search, we located suspected Class A drugs and more than £450 in cash. All items, including the e-scooter, were seized. David Holden, 45, of Hailstone Road, Basingstoke, was charged with possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A and acquiring / using / possessing criminal property. He was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court on 8 January.
• On Tuesday 26 November, officers arrested three young men in connection with a dangerous driving incident in Basingstoke. A Ford Focus failed to stop and was driven through various parts of the town. Two 22-year-old men from Basingstoke and a 21-year-old man from Tadley were arrested and have been bailed, pending further enquiries.
• On Tuesday 26 November, a man was arrested following a fail to stop incident on the A33 near Chineham. A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence, failing to stop and using a motor vehicle without third party insurance. He was released under investigation pending further enquiries. The car was seized at the scene.
• On Thursday 28 November, officers arrested three teenagers following reports of drug-related activity on Grafton Way. Officers found 12 wraps of suspected Class a drugs and cannabis and later seized a Samurai sword from an address. A 17-year-old boy from Basingstoke was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug, possessing a controlled drug of Class B and possessing an offensive weapon in a private place. A 17-year-old boy from Basingstoke was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug and possessing a controlled drug of Class B. A 15-year-old boy from Basingstoke was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug. They have been bailed, pending further enquiries.

As well as making arrests, officers also ran a safeguarding operation, focusing on exploited children, and worked with partner agencies to visit those who may be vulnerable to exploitation in the district. Throughout the week, officers safeguarded 11 men and one woman following various visits.

Police Sergeant Karla Leese, from the Basingstoke Priority Crime Team, said: “Our officers have been out disrupting County Lines drug dealing in the district.

“This is a priority for my team and we do everything we can to prevent the exploitation of children and vulnerable people.

“We arrested nine people, disrupted a number of drugs lines and took a considerable amount of drugs and weapons off the streets. Because of this, I’m pleased to say the week has been a huge success.

“Where there are drugs, there is almost always violence which is why tackling and disrupting the supply of drugs, especially through County Lines, is a vital part of our work to reduce violent crime and keep people safe.

“Please continue to tell us about any suspected drugs activity in your neighbourhood so we can safeguard children and vulnerable adults and bring offenders to justice.”

To read more about CLIW, and how officers removed more than £300,000 worth of drugs from the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, click here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/news/hampshire/news/news/2024/december/drug-supply-lines-disrupted-across-hampshire-and-isle-of-wight-during-national-week-of-intensification/

To make a report, you can contact us on 101 or make a report via our website at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/.

If you don’t want to report to the police directly, you can report to the charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

For information on spotting the signs of exploitation please visit The Children Society’s website https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/child-criminal-exploitation-and-county-lines/spotting-signs