ALMOST a hundred people were arrested across the South West last week after police forces joined together to target illegal drugs and child criminal exploitation.

Operation Scorpion brings together the five South West police forces; Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Devon & Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, alongside their respective Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police, and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU).

By pooling resources, the partnership aims to disrupt drug supply and create a hostile environment for organised crime groups operating in the region. It coincided with a national week of intensification on county lines.

In total, across the South West, 92 people were arrested.

During a coordinated week of action, officers and staff worked jointly to arrest suspected dealers, seize drugs and weapons, and safeguard vulnerable people.

A range of enforcement activity was carried out across the week, including arrest and search warrants, targeted vehicle stops, and the use of drones to track suspected offenders.

Vulnerable individuals were also identified and given details of support services after their numbers were found on seized phones.

Officers and police staff also engaged with children and adults to raise awareness of exploitation of vulnerable people by criminal gangs.

In the Devon & Cornwall policing area: 17 people were arrested; £12,013 in cash was seized and seven weapons were seized, including knuckledusters and a telescopic baton.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sheon Sturland of Devon & Cornwall Police said: ‘Keeping communities in Devon and Cornwall safe by seizing harmful drugs, targeting suppliers, and disrupting county lines networks is our clear mission.

‘Protecting vulnerable people exploited by criminals, especially children and young adults, remains at the heart of our work.

‘If children go missing it’s a key indicator of child criminal exploitation, and the risk to them increases.

‘We see the harm that drug related criminality brings to our communities, and so this work doesn’t end with one week of action.

‘We will continue to take a robust, proactive approach to disrupting drug supply and tackling associated anti-social behaviour and exploitation..

‘Devon and Cornwall and the wider South West is no place for drugs.

‘You can help us and our partner agencies by reporting any suspicions or concerns’.