Country Lines is a term used to describe a form of criminal activity: Organised gangs exploit vulnerable people, including children, to store and distribute drugs from major cities to more rural or coastal areas.
The term “County Lines” can also refer to the phone line that criminals use to sell and distribute drugs, as week as the route gangs use to distribute drugs. It is likely that most illegal drugs available in the UK have passed through a County Line.
County Lines is a huge issue. Recent studies have made it clear just how many individuals and communities may have been affected by this criminal activity.
How Do Country Lines Work?
Mobile phones are a pivotal tool in the County Lines supply and demand chains. Reports indicate that there are thousands of lines operating in the UK, and each one could be worth around £800,000.
In County Lines, gang members do not generally distribute or participate in the selling of drugs themselves. Instead, this work is often carried out by vulnerable people and children. These individuals may be coerced into criminal activity. Or, they may be groomed in such a way they may not even realise the gravity of what they are doing.
Grooming and Exploitation
An effective County Lines operation relies on ‘runners’ to distribute drugs. These runners may be children, young people, or adults at risk, who may be exposed to significant violence, threats, and psychological harm.
It is important to highlight that anyone can be vulnerable to being exploited through County Lines. Certain marginalised groups may be more at risk than others, including those who have been in the care system, those who have been excluded from school, people with mental health difficulties, those who face issues around homelessness, and people living in poverty. However, perpetrators may target anyone for grooming and exploitation.
The cost of living crisis may have contributed to a significant rise in grooming, as children and adults feel increased pressure to meet basic living costs.
Many of those who are recruited into County Lines have been groomed and coerced in such a way that they may not understand just what they are involved in. And by the time they grasp the severity of the situation, they may feel too scared to leave. As a result of their involvement in County Lines, they may also become more vulnerable to experiencing sexual exploitation, cuckooing, and serious violence.
Victims may also be forced to transport drugs internally. This might be through swallowing them, which is potentially life threatening. Or it may be through inserting them into the vagina or rectum, which is a form of sexual abuse.
Debt bondage is another method used to entrap people in criminal activity. This might involve coercing people into County Lines operations through threatening them with a real or perceived debt, which can then be used as a method of control.
How are Children and Vulnerable People Recruited?
Gangs use several channels to recruit young people and other vulnerable adults into County Lines activity. This might include online gaming and social media platforms, but they may also recruit in person at colleges, youth clubs, hostels, homeless centres, residential units, and special needs schools.
They may even post job listings online, which might resemble genuine professional employment opportunities.
Physical Violence and Emotional Harm
People involved in County Lines activity often experience extreme violence and emotional harm. This can be due to disputes over operational areas, known as ‘turfs’. Threats of harm and the fear of physical repercussions can make it difficult for victims to escape once they are involved.
The level of grooming involved can be so intricate that those involved can find it difficult to seek help. Gangs will also use certain tactics make it difficult for people to leave, including threats of violence for them or their family. They may even threaten to report their victims to the police if they seek help.
The Use of Technology
County Lines gangs use technology to recruit, to operate, and to stay anonymous. This can include social media, drones, and burner phones – pre-paid phones that are designed for temporary use and can be discarded once used to maintain privacy and avoid detection.
Cuckooing, Home Invasion, and Mate Crime
Cuckooing is a big part of County Lines activity. This is where a person’s property is taken over for the purpose of illegal activity, such as to manufacture and store illegal drugs.
Victims of cuckooing are often vulnerable people, such as those with mental health difficulties, learning difficulties, substance issues, or individuals who are socially isolated.
Gangs can use intimidation and the threat of violence to take over their property, and they will have very little power to stop them. Or, they might resort to “mate crime”. This is where they falsely befriend the vulnerable or isolated person in order to use them, or their property, for financial gain.
Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery
There is a significant overlap between County Lines, human trafficking, and modern-day slavery. The Office for Health Improvement defines human trafficking as ‘the recruitment or movement of people for exploitation by the use of threat, force, fraud, or the abuse of vulnerability.’
Modern-day slavery and anti-Human-tracking laws are increasingly being used to protect children and vulnerable people from County Lines, and when determining legal sanctions for perpetrators.
Social Impact of County Lines
Those who fall victim to County Lines gangs are at risk of violence, exploitation, and other forms of abuse. But County Lines activity can also have an impact on the wider community.
As gangs smuggle drugs into rural and urban areas, it can result in an increase in social issues such as crime, anti-social behaviour, and familial dysfunction.
County Lines activity can also increase drug dependency. This can destroy families and communities, resulting in a generational impact in terms of related health inequalities. Increased drug dependency is also a public health concern, as it can lead to a rise in drug related deaths and infections.
Challenges in Tackling County Lines
County Lines operations are highly organised, and the use of technology can make it difficult for authorities to trace and disrupt the networks. In addition, many victims of County Lines are afraid to seek help due to fear of gang retribution.
This makes it challenging for authorities to intervene early. Local police forces in smaller towns and rural areas often lack the resources to combat the sophisticated nature of County Lines.
The Government Response
Those involved in County Lines activity may come from certain marginalised backgrounds. They may have learning difficulties, mental health issues, and drug dependency issues. This can make it difficult for authorities to tackle County Lines activity, as there is a pressing need to safeguard those involved.
The government has created various task forces and initiatives, such as the National County Lines Coordination Centre, to support early intervention for those involved in County Lines.
Simply arresting perpetrators is not an effective long-term solution for addressing the issue. Instead, Harm to Hope (2021) identifies a clear direction to support an end to County Lines. The strategy involved a ‘4P’ approach:
- Pursue
- Prevent
- Protect
- Prepare
A major benefit of this approach is that safeguarding can be weaved in at the earliest opportunity to support victims.
The Crown Prosecution Service has highlighted that due to the multiple offences that occur when operating a County Line, perpetrators are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Tackling the issue in this way can ensure the maximum possible sentences for perpetrators, as the gravity of the crimes can be addressed via various legislation, including:
- Serious Crime Act 2007
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- Criminal Justice Act 1988
- Offences Weapons Act 2019
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Serious Crime Act 2015
As we mentioned above, perpetrators may also be sanctioned by use of the Modern-Day Slavery Act 2015.
What To Do If You Suspect Someone is Involved in County Lines
Anyone can be vulnerable to coercion and exploitation. For this reason, it is important look out for the signs that someone you know may be involved in County Lines activity:
- A person frequently goes missing, and is uncontactable, for extended periods of time.
- They regularly have new and expensive items, and you wonder how they might have afforded them. Or, they might have multiple mobile phones.
- They regularly seem intoxicated or agitated, and they appear to be abusing drugs or alcohol.
- You find travel tickets and receipts that you cannot explain.
- They appear to have an advanced understanding of certain clandestine topics.
- They become secretive, withdrawn, or they have unexplained injuries.
Supporting County Lines Victims
Gangs may constantly test their victims’ loyalty as part of the grooming process. They may threaten anyone who expresses a desire to leave with violence or prosecution. So, what can we do to support those who fall prey to County Lines?
A good place to start is through raising awareness of how these criminal gangs operate. People need to understand who the gangs target, and the techniques they use to coerce their victims. We need to maintain an up-to-date understanding of County Lines, while also sharing key information with relevant professionals. This can lead to a more targeted and coordinated response.
Police forces across the UK have created a multi-agency response to tackling County Lines. This includes representatives from health, business sectors, education, transport, local authorities, and the voluntary sector.
Creating safe spaces is key in supporting those involved. This will allow them to share their experiences and get the right help at the right time. Some authorities have delivered workshops to children and other vulnerable groups to help them understand the risks. Professional across numerous sectors have also received some dedicated trauma-informed training to professionals across sectors.
Ultimately, tackling County Lines will depend on working in partnership. There needs to be a joined up approach between numerous professionals from numerous sectors.