Dawn raids in Bristol target county lines gangs
BBCDawn raids have taken place across Bristol as part of the police's latest crackdown on county lines gangs.
Some 60 officers from Avon and Somerset Police simultaneously targeted eight addresses in the city from about 05:00GMT.
They arrested seven people and seized a quantity of suspected Class A drugs, banks cards and burner phones.
Sgt Scott Minall said gangs recruited children as young as 10 which makes it "so important" to catch the leaders.
Drug dealing "has an impact on their families, friends, schools, and education," he told BBC Points West.
"It is just an endless impact on their lives and surrounding communities.
"That's why it's so important to get 'the big boys', if you like, and work your way down, so that we can end up safeguarding vulnerable people that are being roped into it."
The raids were part of Operation Remedy which is a co-ordinated effort launched in April 2019 to target residential burglary, knife crime and the supply of illegal drugs.
They followed a six-month operation, prompted by complaints from neighbours who said they were fed up with seeing drug dealing in plain sight.
Sgt Minall said the children who were groomed to work for the gangs endured "horrific" experiences.
They are "being primed" by the gangs who buy them things like trainers and give them money, he explained.
They end up "expecting a great life by moving drugs around our communities" but the knock-on effect, not only on them" but on the wider community is "terrible", he said.
In 2022, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 1,267 drugs-related disruptions to organised crime groups and county lines - representing an increase of 259%.
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