More than 90 people were arrested and £40,000 cash seized during a week targeting the illegal drugs trade and child criminal exploitation across the South West.

Large quantities of Class A and B drugs were also taken off the streets in the latest combined operation involving the South West’s five police forces.

During the seven days of operations from 25 November to 1 December, police teams targeted gangs and addresses of suspected drugs dealers and suppliers; stepped-up patrols of known hotspots and used technology to disrupt so-called county-lines activities.

Across the region 95 people were arrested and seizures made of £47,863 cash, 37kg of cannabis, plus 564 cannabis plants, 3.7kg of cocaine and107 people including 32 children were protected.

There was a particular focus on child criminal exploitation where criminals groom and exploit young people to move drugs and money across county borders.

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said, “Operation Vanquish is about combining the resources, intelligence and enforcement powers of all the police forces across the South West to create the most difficult environment for those intent on dealing illegal drugs across our region.

In a further bid to prevent the exploitation of young children, a mock alleyway has been created at SkillZone, an educational facility in Gloucester has been created to show a real-life scenario to learn about the dangers of county lines drugs gangs and how they operate.

Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, it is the first educational facility of its kind in the South West.

The week-long operation was a collaboration between the five police forces in the South West region – Dorset, Devon & Cornwall, Avon & Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

The region’s five Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), the British Transport Police, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit combine resources to tackle the supply of illegal drugs in the region.

Chris Nelson, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gloucestershire, said: “Region-wide operations like this demonstrate a border-less approach to policing in an attempt to reduce the serious harm and violence caused by drugs across the whole region, as drug crime isn’t just a problem in urban police areas.

Nick Evans, Deputy PCC and Chair of Gloucestershire’s Combating Drugs Partnership said: “We know that County Lines involving criminals who supply and distribute illegal drugs across our borders, creating complex networks of drugs lines around the region, will continue.

“We will continue to take a strong and robust stance against exploitative criminality.

“But I also want to encourage those that use drugs to get help to stop using. VIA, the County’s new drug and alcohol treatment service, along with Narcotics Anonymous can help start their journey away from dependnce. That way we can reduce the hold these exploitative criminal ddealers have on some of the most vulnerable people in the County, and stop them from ruining more lives.”

Anyone with information about illegal drugs activity should report it to their local police service online or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.