West Midlands Police said its specialist unit has put almost 50 dealers behind bars for more than 260 years in just over six months.
The force’s county lines taskforce, since April, has identified around 250 phone lines connected to illegal supply networks and charged more than 125 suspects with over 430 offences.
This includes three dealers who were locked up last month for more than 25 years, after officers shut down a Class A drugs line which ran between Birmingham and Solihull.
The ‘Kash Line’ supplied cocaine and heroin between 2023 and 2024.
West Midlands Police also recently charged a man in connection with the supply of Class A drugs in the Black Country area after a number of warrants were executed as part of an investigation into the ‘Frosty Line.’
The taskforce has seized hauls of drugs and over 100 weapons – the majority being knives – after acting on information and carrying out regular warrants across the West Midlands.
County lines is commonly referred to as drug dealing, where organised criminal groups (OCGs) use phone lines to move and supply drugs between areas – sometimes within towns or further afield into other regions.
Detective Inspector Mark Robinson, of the County Lines Taskforce, said: “Drugs are a scourge on our communities, they not only ruin lives but fuel further crime to fund habits.
“As a taskforce, we’re focused on closing down illegal drug networks and ensuring those involved in running them are put behind bars.
“The teams within the taskforce work long hours to identify suspected lines, carry out enquiries into who operates them, and undertake enforcement activity.
“It’s through the dedication and determination of our officers and staff that we’ve shut down so many supply networks, made as many arrests, seizures and secured jail terms for offenders.
“This is very much ongoing and we’re working night and day to keep the streets safe and pursue criminals who cause harm in our region.”