Story perspectives

Police Seize £1M Drugs, Arrest 43 in County-Lines Crackdown

6/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police Scotland seized nearly £1 million of narcotics and made 43 arrests in a county-lines crackdown.
Police Scotland said 312 children under 18 have been linked to county-lines gangs since 2021.
Victims aged 16-17 rose from 16 to 65 in the same period.
Barnardo’s Scotland director Michele Janes called the rise concerning, citing Professor Alexis Jay’s warning that gangs groom children with money, drugs, clothing and sexual violence to maintain control.

History

Historical Context

The National Crime Agency, created in 2013 with a £464 million inaugural budget to replace SOCA, set up the National County Lines Coordination Centre and nine regional organised crime units to target drug networks. That structure now supports Police Scotland’s recent seizure of nearly £1 million of drugs and the identification of 312 children linked to county-lines gangs, reflecting the agency’s long-term focus on youth exploitation.

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Story summary

Police Scotland seized nearly £1 million of narcotics and made 43 arrests in a county-lines crackdown.
Police Scotland said 312 children under 18 have been linked to county-lines gangs since 2021.
Victims aged 16-17 rose from 16 to 65 in the same period.
Barnardo’s Scotland director Michele Janes called the rise concerning, citing Professor Alexis Jay’s warning that gangs groom children with money, drugs, clothing and sexual violence to maintain control.

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