Safeguarding organisations, The Railway Children and The Children’s Society, were part of the operation and encouraged station staff, passengers and commuters to be mindful of child exploitation and to report any concerns they witnessed.
Det Supt David Udomhiaye said: “This week’s activity to shut down county lines and identify and safeguard those they exploit was another nail in the coffin for the gangs that hide behind the vulnerable.
“These operations, using resources including our passive drugs dogs, knife arch and covert officers, take place every day across the network, sometimes you’ll spot us, sometimes you won’t, but rest assured we’re always there to take action.”