More than a hundred people have been arrested across the South West after police forces joined together for a coordinated week of action targeting illegal drugs and child criminal exploitation.
Operation Scorpion brought together the five South West police forces, the offices of the region’s Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit. The aim was to pool resources to disrupt drug supply networks and make the region a hostile place for organised crime groups.
Across the week, officers carried out arrest and search warrants, stopped vehicles, used drones to track suspects and identified vulnerable people linked to criminal exploitation. Several individuals found through seized phones were sent text messages signposting support services.
In total, 112 people were arrested across the South West. Officers seized more than sixty seven thousand pounds in cash, recovered fifty two kilograms of cannabis including eight hundred and sixty eight plants, and confiscated three guns along with five imitation firearms. Forty eight people were safeguarded, including five children.
Wiltshire saw significant activity. Seventeen warrants were carried out and forty five people were arrested, with four later charged and one convicted. Officers seized almost twelve thousand pounds in cash and around sixty thousand pounds worth of Class A and Class B drugs. Fourteen people were safeguarded. Police visited fifteen cuckooed addresses and secured five closure orders. Eleven weapons were recovered, including an imitation firearm, a machete, a zombie knife, a knuckle duster and a large hunting knife. Further assets were taken as evidence, including nine mobile phones, three vehicles, clothing and counterfeit cigarettes.
The operation, coordinated this time by Gloucestershire Constabulary, focused in particular on child criminal exploitation. Officers visited schools to speak to pupils about county lines, explaining what exploitation can look like and how to seek help. A regional awareness campaign also ran on social media, with targeted TikTok and Snapchat advertising aimed at reaching young people online.
T/Detective Superintendent Megan Elkins from Wiltshire Police said: "Our mission is clear: to make Wiltshire safer by removing harmful substances from our streets, arresting those who supply them, and dismantling criminal gangs and county lines networks. Equally important is our commitment to protecting and supporting vulnerable victims, often children and young adults, who are exploited by these networks. Safeguarding them remains a top priority alongside protecting our communities. We know that criminal gangs are exploiting children and young people to move drugs and money across Wiltshire. We all have a role to play in raising awareness, taking action, and preventing this harm."
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "Operation Scorpion has been instrumental in safeguarding children and young people from exploitation linked to county lines. This initiative demonstrates the strength of borderless collaboration, with police forces working seamlessly across regional boundaries to share intelligence, coordinate enforcement, and dismantle criminal networks that target the most vulnerable. Alongside enforcement, we have led the delivery of the first regional TikTok and Snapchat campaign, educating young people on how to spot the signs of criminal exploitation and seek help. By combining strong partnership working with proactive prevention, we are reducing harm and reinforcing our collective commitment to protecting communities. We will continue to build on this approach to prevent exploitation and keep people safe. Wiltshire and the South West is no place for drugs."
T Detective Superintendent Elkins said officers have also been raising awareness about behaviours that may indicate a child is being exploited. She said signs can include regularly going missing and being found far from home, unexplained money or designer items, having multiple phones, shoplifting, relationships with older individuals, carrying weapons or significant changes in mood such as anger, sadness, fearfulness or withdrawal. She added: "We know the impact this type of criminality has on our towns and villages, causing harm and misery. This work does not end with one operation; drug supply networks operate across borders, and we will continue to take a strong, robust stance against this exploitative crime. Our message is simple: Wiltshire and the South West is no place for drugs."
Anyone with concerns about drug dealing or suspicious activity can report it online to Wiltshire Police or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
*Photo credit Wiltshire Police
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