The term County Lines describes gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into other areas of the country, often small towns, using dedicated mobile phone lines or another form of ‘deal line’ which can be a person. They are likely to exploit children or vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.
There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is involved in county lines:
- repeatedly going missing from school or home and being found in other areas
- having money, new clothes or electronic devices and they can’t explain how they paid for them
- getting high numbers of texts or phone calls, being secretive about who they’re speaking to
- decline in school or work performance
- significant changes in emotional or physical well-being
Contact us
If you’re concerned about drug-related crime in your area or think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call 101.
If it’s an emergency, please call 999. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000. Or text 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.
Report it
You can also report it online, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.
No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to police when contacting Crimestoppers.
Click here for more information on County Lines.
