COUNTY LINES - KNOW THE SIGNS!

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Older friends offering drugs such as 'weed', or offering alcohol, food or expensive gifts will want something in return. This can lead to problems that seem impossible to get out of.

You can use this site to get confidential support.

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A common feature in county lines drug supply is the exploitation of young and vulnerable people. The dealers will frequently target children and adults - often with mental health or addiction problems - to act as drug runners or move cash so they can stay under the radar of law enforcement.

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In some cases the dealers will take over a local property, normally belonging to a vulnerable person, and use it to operate their criminal activity from. This is known as cuckooing.

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People exploited in this way will quite often be exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse, and in some instances will be trafficked to areas a long way from home as part of the network's drug dealing business. 

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(NCA)

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WORRIED ABOUT A YOUNG PERSON? 

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How to look out for County Lines drug dealing in your area!

 

Some signs to look out for include:

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• An increase in visitors and cars to a house or flat

• New faces appearing at the house or flat

• New and regularly changing residents (e.g different accents compared to local accent

• Change in resident's mood and/or demeanour (e.g. secretive/ withdrawn/ aggressive/ emotional)

• Substance misuse and/or drug paraphernalia

• Changes in the way young people you might know dress

• Unexplained, sometimes unaffordable new things (e.g clothes, jewellery, cars etc)

• Residents or young people you know going missing, maybe for long periods of time

• Young people seen in different cars/taxis driven by unknown adults

• Young people seeming unfamiliar with your community or where they are

• Truancy, exclusion, disengagement from school

• An increase in anti-social behaviour in the community

• Unexplained injuries