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Hertfordshire Constabulary’s specialist county lines team, Operation Mantis, made an arrest during an operation targeting an organised crime group.
During the operation on Thursday 17 October an address in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, was searched and one person was arrested. Class A drugs and mobile phones, believed to be used in the supply of drugs, were seized.
Reece Nichols, aged 24, of Mill Road, St Ippolyts, was arrested and later charged with conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine. He was remanded into custody.
Detective Sergeant Chris Cowell, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Command, said: “This operation continued our work targeting the ‘Captain’ drug Line, which has been operating across in the North Herts area.
“We will continue to take a very proactive approach to targeting drug dealing in the county, working with our partners in other agencies to make it difficult for these crime groups to operate, preventing new gangs becoming established and targeting them early before they get a foothold and serious offences can occur.”
You can report information about drug crime online or speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat. You also call the non-emergency number 101. If a crime is in progress call 999.
Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at online form (opens in a new window).
What is county lines?
County Lines is the name given to describe drug dealing, which involves criminal networks from urban areas expanding their activities into smaller towns and rural areas.
It often involves the exploitation of children, as gangs use young people and those with mental health or addiction problems to transport drugs and money. These gangs establish a base in the location they are targeting, often taking over the homes of local vulnerable adults by force or coercion in a practice referred to as ‘cuckooing’.
Dealers typically use a single phone line to facilitate the supply of Class A drugs to customers. The phone line is highly valuable and is protected through violence and intimidation.
*What is Operation Mantis?
The Operation Mantis team was launched in 2018 and is made up of officers who specialise in targeting serious and organised crime. Since May 2019 the team has executed hundreds of search warrants, more than 400 arrests and seized over £392,000 in cash. This has led to numerous county lines gangs being dismantled and offenders sentenced to more than 600 years in prison in total.
What is Cuckooing?
Cuckooing is the term used when gangs establish a base in the location they are targeting, often taking over the homes of vulnerable adults by force or coercion.
How to spot the signs that cuckooing might be happening in your neighbourhood: