TWO firearms, knives and a large quantity of Class A drugs have been sized in Andover.

The items were all seized as part of a pre-planned warrant, following the search two people were arrested.

The news comes as 15 county lines drug dealing networks have been dismantled and disrupted, in a week of intensification to tackle drug-related harm and drug-related violence in communities.

Last week, police officers across Hampshire and Isle of Wight arrested 87 criminals and seized £106,000 of drugs and more than 50 offensive weapons as part of a national county line week of intensification.

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Tactical County Lines lead for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary, Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy, said: “County line gangs run despicable, exploitative criminal operations manipulating the most vulnerable to do their dirty work, tearing families and communities apart in the process.

“This intense week of operational and partnership activity has been incredibly successful in disrupting and shutting down county line networks running in our towns and cities.

“We’ve been relentless in the coordination of our policing activity targeting these vile criminals who bring misery and violence to our communities. We have executed 13 warrants, made 87 arrests and visited 62 cuckooed addresses in the past week, all related to drug-related harm. Seizing large quantities of drugs, cash and proceeds of their criminality including over fifty thousand in cash."

The force-wide policing activity across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight resulted in:

  • 87 people arrested
  • 15 county lines identified and disrupted
  • 13 drug warrants executed
  • 159 mobile phones seized
  • £106,000 drugs seized
  • Over £51K cash seized
  • 200 plus stop and searches, 15 per cent of which involved a person aged under 18.

SEE ALSO: Andover: Monxton Road, London Road to be closed for 8 days

Basingstoke officers seized £3,000 in cash, a machete and quantities of Class A drugs during a pre-planned warrant in Basingstoke. One arrest was made.

Cash worth £30,000, large quantities of suspected Class A and B drugs, multiple phones and proceeds of crime were seized during a warrant in Gosport. A man and woman were arrested. 

In Southampton, officers visited a vulnerable person’s home as part of their drug-related harm-safeguarding activity. During the visit, one man was arrested, and weapons and phones were seized. An adult and child inside the cuckooed address were safeguarded.

Meanwhile, a warrant in Portsmouth seized Class A and B drugs, weapons, cash and phones.