Organised Crime - County Lines

Question 1

Evidence of county lines having 3+ members

Answer 1

County lines offenders typically operate in hierarchical groups
NCA 2019

Question 2

Evidence of county lines’ activity being prolonged or indefinite

Answer 2

According to the NCA (2019) there are between 1500 and 2000 ACTIVE lines

Question 3

Evidence of County Lines being motivated by profit and power

Answer 3

According to the NCA (2019) individuals can make up to £800,000 a year

Question 4

Evidence of violence and serious crime

Answer 4

According to the NCA (2019) there is evidence of serious physical violence

Most county lines facilitate the supply of Class A drugs, mainly crack, cocaine and heroin

Question 5

Factors that make a place vulnerable to county lines: Transport Connectivity

Answer 5

Rail networks such as Manchest, Picadilly and Clapham are key movement points (NCA 2019)

Question 6

Factors that make a place vulnerable to county lines: Local drug demands

Answer 6

Rural / Costal communities with high levels of opiate/crack use but little to no treatment are attractive markets
(Home Office 2023)

Question 7

Factors that make a place vulnerable to county lines: Deprivation & Youth Exclusion

Answer 7

Areas in the lowest IMD decile experience the highest rate of county-lines exploitation of children.
(Children’s Society 2021)

Question 8

Factors that make a place vulnerable to county lines: Minimal policing resources

Answer 8

HMICFRS (2020):
Smaller forces reported limited capacity to sustain disruption operations, making their areas attractive to exporting gangs.

Question 9

What is cuckooing?

Answer 9

Cuckooing involves taking over the home of a vulnerable person to use as a base for drug supply.

Question 10

Victim profile of cuckooing

Answer 10

Adult victims are overwhelmingly Class A users; 73 percent reported heroin or crack dependence.
(Crest Advisory 2021)

Question 11

How many people have been affected by cuckooing

Answer 11

According to the Home Office (2023)
Over 1000 addresses in 2022

Question 12

Wider Social harms: Child Criminal Exploitation

Answer 12

Home Office: Modern Slavery 2022
47% of all child referrals to the National Referral Mechanism in 2022 related to county lines

Question 13

Wider Social Harms: Community fear

Answer 13

Residents in a study from the University of Essex 2020 reported feeling less safe after county-lines activity

Question 14

Wider Social Harms: Economic Costs

Answer 14

Estimated £19 billion per year in England and Wales
(Home Office 2019)