"Concerned in the supply of CLASS A DRUGS" | 27 ARRESTS, £15K SEIZED in County Lines police raids

Twenty seven people suspected to be selling cocaine and other drugs in our county were arrested in a series of dynamic strikes last week.

The pre-planned warrants were carried out simultaneously in Darlington and Peterlee and involved several arrest teams, method of entry officers, search teams and our trusty dog section.

Strikes carried out in Darlington were part of an intelligence led operation which targeted individuals supplying drugs in the Darlington Town centre nighttime economy.

The operations also supported County Lines Intensification week, which saw officers up and down the country disrupting lines and stopping the flow of drugs through different counties.

Colleagues from the North East regional organised crime unit (NEROCU) joined us on our operations which saw tablets, canisters of nitrous oxide, cocaine, cannabis, snap bags, a snort pipe, empty snap bags and six bottles of steroids recovered from addresses as well as mobile phones, more than £10,000 in cash, gold jewellery, scales, sim cards and weapons.

Twenty cars believed to be linked to drugs supply were also stopped by road policing officers.

Two men in their twenties who were arrested in Darlington have since been charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

Brothers Bartek Krystyniak and Filip Krystyniak both pled guilty to the charges and will be sentenced on July 24 at Teesside Crown Court.

They were just two of 161 people arrested across the region during the operation, which also saw 17 deal lines shut down and 14 vulnerable people safeguarded.

As well as enforcement action, Durham officers visited several schools across the county, a total of 526 students received inputs around the consequences of drug dealing and given advice on being able to recognise the signs of exploitation.

Detective Chief Inspector Lindsay Banks-Brown said: “The arrest numbers speak for themselves. We are making huge strides here in County Durham and seeing some great results in Darlington where we have listened to concerns and have taken action to disrupt and shutdown drug supply chains there.

“Not only are we seeing arrests and subsequent charges but by seizing mobile phones we are building on our intelligence picture and identifying dealer lines and further individuals suspected to be involved in the supply of Class A.

“The message to those involved in these networks is that just because we have not taken action against you yet does not mean you’re not next on our list.”

If anyone has any information about drug dealing or County Lines and those controlling them, please contact 101.

Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or go to https://crimestoppers-uk.org/