Coronavirus: Far more drug dealers arrested during COVID-19 lockdown
Written by News on 19/04/2020
Police targeting drugs gangs are making far more arrests during the coronavirus lockdown because dealers “stand out” and are “drawing attention”, a senior officer has said.
Detective Superintendent Jo Banks, from Sussex Police, said the pandemic presented an unexpected opportunity to tackle county lines – where organised groups move narcotics out of urban areas and into towns and villages.
But dealers had been “really quick to change (their) business model” since the COVID-19 outbreak began, she said.
With demand for drugs unchanged, the rail network has been “eschewed in favour of the roads”, she told the PA news agency.
Officers are now patrolling streets in the search for consignments being driven into their area.
Fewer drugs have been available since the lockdown was brought in, and the purity has gone down, Ms Banks said.
There has also been a reduction in “cuckooing” – which sees dealers taking over the homes of vulnerable people – again because of the measures to stop coronavirus spreading.
Discussing what had happened since the lockdown began on 23 March, Ms Banks said: “It’s afforded us an opportunity to do more of the disruption because they do stand out.
“When you look out at our streets their activity is drawing attention.
“We are actually making far more arrests and working still with our partners to be able to do that.”
She also said she wants to help those whose homes are taken over by drugs gangs.
“One of the things I am keen on is we still get on to those vulnerable people now,” she said.
“We need to consider how we can use this time now to stop them being vulnerable once the lockdown ends.”
Last weekend, officers found £23,000 of cannabis and several thousand pounds of cash at a flat in Bexhill, East Sussex.
Two men aged 22 and 21, and a woman aged 21, were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply, and money laundering.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Far more drug dealers arrested during COVID-19 lockdown
