Moment police raid sick drugs smuggler’s home during nationwide blitz on County Lines gangs

A SICK drugs smuggler who uses kids as mules finally had his doors kicked in by cops in a daring dawn raid.

The Sun joined police officers on one of the 1,660 arrests that took place last week during a nationwide blitz on County Lines gangs.

More than 291 drug routes were closed during the seven-day operation, with 557 weapons seized alongside four XL Bullies and almost £2million in cash.

County Lines networks sees illicit substances shifted across regional borders, often using vulnerable children who risk being dragged into dangerous turf wars.

Under the cover of darkness, we watched with Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson as Met cops nicked a man in South London who had been using kids to take crack cocaine and heroin to Brighton.

On the scene of the raid the Labour MP pleaded with drug users to think of the children being exploited when they fuel this vile trade.

She said: “For drug users, they need to remember that children - often the most vulnerable children - are being groomed by gangs to supply drugs.

“County lines are the most serious violent drugs supply in this country and those who are running these lines will be held to account and will face the full force of the criminal justice system.”

More than 1,400 exploited people were safeguarded by police during the week, half of which were children.

With recent controversy about the police spending too much time on “noncrime hate incidents”, Dame Diana said busting County Lines criminals was “absolutely what the police should be doing, this is what we want them to spend their time on”.

DCI Dan Mitchell, Head of the National County Lines Coordination Centre, said social media companies needed to “do more” to stop kids getting groomed online.

He told The Sun: “Criminal gangs will use social media apps to talk to children and make them think this is what they want to do.

“But once they're working on the line it’s a very different environment, it’s not what they think it’s going to be. They can be involved with serious violence.”