Thousands of pounds seized at Luton addresses during county lines police operation

Thousands of pounds was seized during a number of Luton raids as police continue to crack down on county lines in Bedfordshire.

Five warrants were carried out at various addresses across Luton yesterday (Wednesday), and £3,500 worth of cash was seized.

Subsequently, one man from Luton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs.

In relation to the operation, a number of warrants were carried out in July which resulted in the arrest of two men and the seizure of a firearm, blank firing ammunition and suppressor.

Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye joined officers for yesterday's raids.

He said: "It was a privilege to join our officers very early this morning to conduct five warrants in our fight against county lines in Bedfordshire.

"I am so proud of the dedication, professionalism and well coordinated team work of the enforcement I saw today.

"Make no mistake about it, we are clamping down on organised crime gangs in our county and I want to thank residents for providing valuable information to apprehend this criminal activity.

"I will keep doing everything within my power to ensure our officers have the backing and resources they need in this crucial undertaking."

Detective Inspector Tom Stean, from Bedfordshire Police’s Intelligence unit, said: “We are committed to cracking down on county lines gangs, and we will make it a hostile place for these people to operate.

“Organised criminals typically exploit vulnerable adults and young people, using them to deal, store or run drugs through the county, and it is important for us to pursue those responsible, and to support those exploited.

“We work tirelessly to stop county lines running in and out of Bedfordshire, with proactive patrols, intelligence gathering and in-depth investigations.

“However, it is essential for us to build trust and work with our communities as we need people to continue reporting drug activity and suspicious behaviour.”

If you see anything suspicious, please report this information via 101 or through the Bedfordshire Police website.

All of this information is fed into police intelligence systems and helps the force build up a picture of organised crime, even if officers do not act on the information straight away.

Alternatively, you can report any information anonymously via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

For more information about all forms of exploitation linked to organised crime please visit the Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation campaign website.

The Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit supports people affected by gangs, knife crime and county lines.