ARRESTS were made in Haringey as part of a police battle against county line gangs involved in drug dealing and exploitation of young people.
Lewisham and Hackney were also targeted as the Metropolitan Police joined forces with officers from Devon and Cornwall and searched addresses in St Bodmin, St Austell and Newquay, Cornwall.
County lines is a term used to describe urban gangs supplying drugs to other parts of the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines. The gangs are likely to exploit children or vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and will often use violence and coercion.
In total, 10 properties were identified as being part of a county line that fed through from London to Cornwall.
Teams of officers entered the properties simultaneously in the early hours under Section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE).
Nine people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, and modern slavery and human trafficking offences.
Councillor Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Engagement at Haringey Council, said:
“This should serve as a clear message that drug and violent crime will not be tolerated in our borough.
Across the country, authorities and the police are working together to track down and identify those responsibly. As gang violence continues to affect young people across London – and in Haringey – we must all take a stand against those responsible for this crime and exploitation.”