Railway cops net another haul of drugs at Edinburgh Waverley
The latest seizure is the fourth by British Transport Police (BTP) officers in Edinburgh since June..
The operation was part of an initiative launched by the BTP’s County Lines Taskforce aimed at reducing drug smuggling on the rail network in order to protect children and groups who are vulnerable to being lured into drug dealing by gangs.
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Hide AdThe Taskforce was established in 2019 after receiving funding from the Home Office and has since been conducting County Lines operations in England, Scotland and Wales.
Amongst the several arrests made by BTP officers at Edinburgh Waverley was that of a 19-year-old in possession of crack cocaine, who was arrested for possession of illegal drugs with intent to supply.
A 16-year-old was also arrested for the possession of an offensive weapon. Meanwhile, three people were successfully safeguarded from criminal exploitation and will be referred to services built to support exploited people escape dangerous criminal activity
BTP Sergeant Pete Wilcock said: “The Taskforce continues to be very active and continues to crack down on violent crime and the trafficking of drugs on the railway network. Our priority is always safeguarding vulnerable people from criminal exploitation and during this operation we were able to put this into action with three individuals.
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Hide Ad“My team’s significant efforts contribute to our national goal of ensuring the railway continues to be a safe means of travel.”
Taskforce lead, Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams added: “Our experience has proven that gangs who use the railway network rely on younger people to move drugs. These individuals are victims, forced through exploitation or intimidation into desperate situations, and it’s always our priority to make support available that can get them out of harm and away from crime.
“Key indicators include a teenager travelling long distances, alone with a large amount of cash, or avoiding any sort of authority at stations. These indicators are small but invaluable and help inform where we target next. This is an evolving understanding of County Lines offending and we are prepared to tackle it, wherever the intelligence leads us.”