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Two arrested in Dundee county lines raids

Graeme Ogston
BBC Scotland News
BBC Uniformed police force entry to a flat in a block of tenementsBBC
Specialist police officers raided a flat in the Stobswell area of Dundee

Two people have been arrested in a series of police raids in Dundee as the result of an investigation into county lines drug dealing and human trafficking.

A 63-year-old man was arrested in the Stobswell area of Dundee shortly after 07:15 following a raid by specialist officers.

Four hours later, a 23-year-old woman was arrested after officers raided a flat in the Hilltown.

A 26-year-old man has also been arrested by police in the West Midlands following simultaneous raids in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Police officers remain at both properties following the arrests, which were made as the result of intelligence gathered as part of the inquiry.

A police officer with a battering device stands outside the broken front door of a flat. Other police officers are visible within the property.
Police forced entry to two properties in Dundee as part of the operation
A woman with a hooded top with her back to the camera is taken to an unmarked police car by two plain clothes officers
A 23-year-old woman was arrested by detectives following a raid on a flat in the Hilltown area of Dundee

County lines is where drugs, including heroin and cocaine, are moved across the country - the 'county line' itself is a mobile phone number where orders are placed for the drugs.

Vulnerable adults and children are often used to sell the drugs, with some people moved from their local area to another part of the country to sell drugs, often to pay off a debt.

A smashed white door to a flat with debris on the floor
Officers remain at the scene of the first raid following the arrest of a 63-year-old man

The Dundee raids were carried out as part of Operation Spignel, a joint operation with police in the West Midlands.

Dundee-based Det Insp Alan Swanston from Police Scotland said: "We've identified a serious organised crime group that are operating out of the West Midlands area and drug dealing in Dundee.

"Specialist officers will also develop and assess the intelligence and build a picture of what the group looks like and where they're located."

Det Insp Alan Swanston is a red-haired man with a blue short, green tie and green coat. He is standing in front of a police van outside a modern building.
Det Insp Alan Swanston said that the operation was carried out in conjunction with officers in the West Midlands

Specialist resources are also being made available for the operation, including cybercrime officers.

Det Insp Swanston said: "The arrests will allow us to conduct interviews, examine any phones or devices that have been obtained and also be able to go through the addresses with a fine toothcomb to identify if there is evidence that would back up the intelligence."