Hampshire police charge two people and seize 200g of cocaine in County Lines crackdown as footage shows arrest

The week of intensification, which ran from Monday 4 March until Sunday 10 March, saw Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary 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, Hart and Rushmoor officers carried out proactive operations, patrols and stop checks.

Three people were arrested, a total of £1,275 in cash was seized and a number of Class A and Class B drugs – including more than 200g of cocaine – were taken off the streets. Of the three arrests, two people were charged and have already appeared in court. As well as making arrests, a number of community resolutions were issued and vital intelligence has been gathered. Officers visited a number of local schools to engage with students and to provide educational talks on drug-related harm.

They also visited hotels to speak with staff around the dangers of County Lines and held a local beat surgery with partners and the community.

On Tuesday 5 March, officers carried out a joint operation at Aldershot train station with British Transport Police and the dog unit. A number of people were searched and a community resolution was issued for a drugs offence. Later that day, a man was arrested following a foot chase in Aldershot.

Officers were patrolling the town when they noticed suspicious behaviour on Church Lane West. A foot chase ensued and a man was arrested on nearby Ayling Hill. Following a search at the scene, officers found a large amount of cannabis, which was seized. An officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest.

Erisd Domi, 18, of no fixed abode, was charged with possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class B and assault by beating of an emergency worker. He is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court on 5 April.

On Thursday 7 March, officers made an arrest after noticing a woman acting suspiciously in the Municipal Gardens area of Aldershot. Officers searched an address nearby and located a large quantity of Class A drugs, offensive weapons, mobile phones and cash. Abisola Ajayi, 29, of Queens Road, Aldershot, was charged with three counts of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A and acquiring / using / possessing criminal property.

She was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a private place and possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid / gas / electrical incapacitation device. Ajayi is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court on 10 April.

On Friday 8 March, a man was arrested after officers found bags of suspected Class A drugs in Aldershot. Officers were patrolling Grosvenor Road when they noticed the driver of a black Mercedes acting suspiciously. Following a search of the vehicle, officers found cash, two mobile phones and bags of suspected Class A drugs.

A 28-year-old man from Northampton was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A. He has been bailed with conditions while our enquiries continue.

Police sergeant Helen Wentworth, from the Hart and Rushmoor Priority Crime Team, said: “Our officers have been out disrupting County Lines drug dealing in Hart and Rushmoor. My team takes this extremely seriously and our officers do everything we can to prevent the exploitation of children and vulnerable people in the district.

“We arrested three people, charging two of them, seized more than 200g of cocaine, disrupted a number of drugs lines and took a considerable amount of Class A and Class B drugs off the streets – so 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 make a report, you can call 101 or make a report via the Hampshire police 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 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