Detective unit fights ‘county line’ drug gangs

A SPECIALIST detective unit has been formed to fight the ‘county line’ drug gangs spreading across Scotland.

The criminals target rural areas, often taking over people’s homes to use as a base.

Gangs that operate across rural England have expanded to towns and villages in NorthEast Scotland, sparking a wave of violence and intimidation.

The head of Police Scotland’s new Organised Crime Partnership said the gangs now operate across the country.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bell told the Sunday Post: ‘Essentially, criminal groups are bullying people, taking over their homes and using it as a base to conduct their illegal activities.

‘It’s not just about seizing tons and tons of drugs – that’s not the key to what county lines policing is. It’s more basic than that, it’s about protecting vulnerable people.’

In November, police carried out anti-drugs 34 raids in Fraserburgh and Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.

Almost £10,000 and drugs worth £9,020 was seized and 48 people were later charged with alleged drugs offences.