Hertfordshire county line targeted in 222-arrest crackdown

From February 27 to March 5, the Metropolitan Police intensified their focus on gangs smuggling drugs from the capital and seized over £1 million worth of drugs.

The force have confirmed that the arrests included an operation targeting a line from London to Hertfordshire.

Met Police targeting county lines gangs in Croydon (Image: Met Police)

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Weapons seized by Met Police (Image: Met Police)

After the arrests, 223 charges were handed out to 105 people, including 150 linked to drug trafficking offences.

Police found 177 vulnerable children who were being preyed on and put in danger by gangsters and used “as a commodity”.

Drugs seized by Met Police (Image: Met Police)

In these cases, police put measures in place to safeguard and support them rather than criminalise them.

They added that 77 lines were closed.

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Drugs seized by Met Police (Image: Met Police)

Goods seized included 8.3 kilograms of class A drugs, 37.6 kilograms class B drugs and £652,214 in cash.

Five guns and 51 weapons including knives, machetes and swords were taken.

Met Police in Croydon (Image: Met Police)

A Met Police (MPS) spokesperson said: “This criminality affects Hertfordshire.

“The MPS and their Orochi Taskforce work with Hertfordshire Police and other bordering constabularies to tackle the threat of county lines criminality, violence and exploitation.

“Orochi and Hertfordshire Police have collaborated on a number of county lines operations since Orochi was incepted in November 2019.”