A CRACKDOWN on ‘county lines’ drug dealing saw six people arrested over the past five days.

Police in York arrested two 17-year-old boys and a 21-year-old man from Liverpool at a property in the city following reports of a disturbance on Saturday, November 10.

The trio were taken into custody, with the older man charged with possessing Class B drugs and obstructing the police, while one teen was issued with a caution and the other released without charge.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology proved instrumental in locating other suspects believed to be travelling in and out of the area for activities linked to county lines dealing.

On Wednesday, the technology helped police to secure the arrest of two men in their thirties.

A 37-year-old from York was arrested on suspicion of three burglaries, of being connected to the supply of Class A drugs and fraud by false representation while a 34-year-old from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. Both were released under investigation.

Another vehicle was flagged up by ANPR while travelling along York’s Tadcaster Road, with a 17-year-old from Manchester, believed to be connected to county lines dealing, subsequently arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said safeguarding measures had been instigated in relation to some of those involved as he explained county line drug dealing and urged people to report any suspicions.

He added: “Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras work by reading a vehicles registration number and flagging it up to the police if it is connected to criminal activity or vulnerable or missing people.

“It helps the police prevent crime, arrest suspects, find missing or vulnerable people and provides evidence to help criminal prosecutions.

“County lines drug dealing is a form of organised crime where criminals from urban areas such as Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, force children and young people to travel to county towns such as York and Scarborough to do their drug dealing for them. I “It also involves a practice known as cuckooing where drug dealers use threats of violence to take over the homes of vulnerable people and use it to store and sell drugs.

“It takes its name from the phone lines used by the criminals to communicate with their “customers” and take orders.

“Tackling county lines is a foremost priority for North Yorkshire Police and information from members of the public is invaluable in helping us safeguard vulnerable people, disrupt criminal activity and bring the suspects to justice.

“We therefore ask members of the public to call in with any information about suspicious activity in your area, including cuckooing and child exploitation.”

To report any concerns, call non-emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.