MORE than 50 people have been arrested and drugs and weapons have been seized in a week as part of action to tackle county lines drug dealing.

Weapons, drugs, mobile phones and cash have all been seized by Hampshire Police between October 7 and 11.

A total of 52 people were arrested in Hampshire as part of a nationwide intensification on county lines drug dealing networks.

A total of £6,854 in cash, 46 mobile phones and 14 weapons - including a machete and two samurai swords - were seized as part of the operation.

Specialist officers carried out warrants at properties linked to drugs and pre-planned operations to disrupt and deter offender from county lines activity.

Coordinated by the National County Lines Coordination Centre, 48 men and four women were arrested, with another 20 vulnerable adults and children safeguarded to protect them.

County lines networks are notorious for exploiting vulnerable or young people into becoming couriers who transport drugs from London into our towns and cities, with orders taken by phone.

Text messages were sent to hundreds of suspected drug users on four drug deal lines, two of which believed to be operating in the Portsmouth area, were shut down, as part of the week of action.

The messages directed users to support agencies while also making dealers aware that police knew what they were using the number for.

Detective Superintendent Scott Mackechnie, who leads the response to drug-related harm at Hampshire Police, said: “Tackling county lines and the misery it causes to our communities is an absolute priority and these results demonstrate the power of a coordinated response with our partner agencies to a complex problem that we’re seeing in every area of the UK.”

“We play our part alongside staff working within health, social care, education and commissioned services to try to stop young people being drawn into county lines and keep watch for signs that young people they work with may have fallen prey.”