More than 1,000 years in prison for drug dealers in 2024

Officers working day and night to dismantle drug dealing gangs cracked 150 county lines and secured more than 1,000 years in prison sentences for offenders throughout 2024.

The work of our Serious Violence Unit (SVU) has resulted in hundreds of arrests this year, alongside the seizure of large sums of cash and vast quantities of harmful Class A substances.

The SVU hosts our Operation Raptor and Orochi teams. Their sole focus is the disruption of county lines gangs and the safeguarding of those they exploit.

Throughout 2024, the teams secured 447 arrests. Of those arrests, 322 suspects were charged and remanded in prison – a 72% charge rate.

The teams also solved 76% of the cases they pursued.

After painstakingly gathering evidence and pursuing leads, they carried out more than 390 searches and executed 222 warrants at addresses across Essex.

This led to the seizure of around £285,000 in criminal profits and more than 16kg of drugs.

A year in numbers

More than 170 weapons were taken off our streets and out of the hands of criminals.

Our specialist Drug Liaison Officers gave more than 580 statements as expert witnesses to support prosecutions and examined more than 710 cannabis exhibits alone.

They also delivered more than 50 deployments of Home Office-approved drug testing kits, reducing the cost and time associated with submitting samples to laboratories.

Of the hundreds of suspects arrested, a significant number were later charged with offences relating to drug supply, as well as the possession of weapons and proceeds of criminality.

The recovery of criminal profits under the Proceeds of Crime Act, alongside the seeking of gang injunctions and orders, remain a priority alongside many of the cases we pursue.

'We must reduce the demand'

Detective Superintendent Ant Alcock, who heads up the SVU, said:

“This year we’ve seen an increase in the number of weapons we are seizing as part of our investigations.
“This illustrates the fact that drug-related offending feeds into and fuels violent crime in Essex – a challenge we recognise and will continue to tackle head on.
“We know a significant proportion of offenders linked to county lines activity – around 80% – have a propensity for serious violence.
“It’s a message we repeat constantly: The trade and use of drugs, particularly Class A drugs, is a root cause of the wider offending which impacts on our communities.
“The demand fuels the supply, which in turn results in the exploitation of vulnerable people and the use or threat of violence as a means of intimidation.
“By consistently taking out these county lines, by securing prison sentences for committed drug dealers, we are driving down anti-social behaviour and violent crime.
“This focus on enforcement doesn’t mean we’re blind to the wider causes and issues which lie behind drug crime in Essex.
“Our teams are expertly tackling those who use others to support the drugs trade in our county. We will continue to focus on safeguarding the vulnerable and keeping them safe from gang exploitation.
“By trying to reduce the demand and market for drugs, we can further cripple the supply lines.”

Our SVU has dedicated professionals, including our Prepare, Prevent, Protect (PPP) team and safeguarding officers embedded within Op Raptor teams, focused on engaging with the people exploited by county lines gangs.

Throughout 2024, these officers sent more than 7,500 messages to known users of Class A drugs, providing self-referral options to supportive charities and addiction services.

Op Raptor’s safeguarding officers also:

• Safeguarded more than 200 adults and 129 children from potential serious violence.
• Referred almost 40 potential victims of modern-day slavery to the relevant services.
•  Obtained 13 full or partial closure orders on properties linked to drug supply.
• Carried out more than 130 checks on potential victims of cuckooing – a practice whereby a drug dealer will take over the home of a vulnerable user to use as a base.

Across the year, our PPP team:

• Made more than 350 referrals to partners including drug, alcohol, mental health, housing and social care services.
•  Attended 151 meetings alongside partners in health, criminal justice, local authorities and various support services.
• Held 230 face-to-face meetings with offenders and vulnerable people, diverting them away from committing further offences including serious violence.
• Submitted 280 intelligence reports to assist and inform our investigations.
• Hosted more than 35 educational sessions reaching more than 3,200 people.

Working with Essex Fire and Rescue Service, our Joint Education Team delivered: 

• 84 sessions on gangs and county lines, reaching 4,316 young people.
• 218 sessions on knife crime reaching 9,827 young people.

Essex Police is also a leading member of the Violence and Vulnerability Unit, which brings together agencies including councils, health, probation, criminal justice, education and voluntary sector groups to work in partnership to tackle the causes of serious violence.

This work has seen successes across the year.

Victim of cuckooing safeguarded

In September, a victim of cuckooing was recovered from her address and taken to hospital.

When the time came for her to be discharged, she was unable to return to her home due to the danger she faced.

The PPP team arranged for her to stay at a hotel and ensured she received food until more permanent housing could be arranged.

Housing was secured and the team assisted her in salvaging her belongings from her address before she settled into her new home.

She continues to engage with the team and is safely out of the hands of those who previously exploited her.

Vulnerable youth makes progress

In October, a vulnerable young person with autism was identified as at risk of exploitation at the hands of a gang operating in the Chelmsford area.

After engaging with the PPP team, the youth agreed to have a monitoring tag fitted.

This provided a visual aid, reminding him to keep to a curfew, retain contact with his mum and refrain from visiting places where he would be at risk.

The tag has since been removed and the youth continues to make progress, with his last arrest in August 2024 when the risk of exploitation was first identified.

He was referred on to support services, which has since seen him complete his CV and look to secure employment and a college placement.

Gangs rely on exploitation

Det Supt Alcock added:

“It’s really important that we treat those exploited to work for county lines gangs, and those addicted to Class A drugs who are easily influenced, as victims where we can.
“This isn’t a problem that can solely be solved by the inside of a prison cell.
“To put a stop to the trade in Class A drugs for good, we need to take a realistic and wide-ranging approach that encompasses safeguarding.
“Those at the top of the chain in county lines gangs look to those they can easily manipulate.
“We often find they use children to do the dangerous work of running drugs on the street.
“This might be through false promises of wealth or status, or through the use of threats.
“Equally, they turn to their customers – those addicted to hugely harmful substances like crack cocaine and heroin – as an easy source of labour.
“We are continuing to expand our engagement with these exploited people, turning more of them than ever away from a life under the thumb of an uncaring criminal.”

Spotting the signs of exploitation

Essex Police is a supporter and promoter of the national #LookCloser campaign, which encourages everyone to get to know the signs of child exploitation.

Are you worried that a friend or someone you know may be being exploited through County Lines or organised criminal activity?

Maybe they are returning home late, staying out all night or even going missing for days or weeks at a time.

Are they suddenly being secretive about who they are talking to or where they are going?

Or perhaps you’ve noticed they have large amounts of money on them, or new clothing, jewellery or phones they wouldn’t be able to afford.

Through Fearless, young people can pass on information 100% anonymously to get help.

If you need help from police, call 101 or, if it's an emergency, always call 999.

Keeping people safe is at the heart of what we do.