What is ‘county lines’?
‘County lines’ is a term used to describe the exploitation of children and vulnerable people by drug dealers and criminal networks in order to traffic drugs between rural areas and cities.
Offenders set up dedicated mobile phone lines to import and export drugs across counties, using children as young as 11 years old to move and store the drugs and money. There’s thought to be at least 2,000 individual deal lines in the UK, connected to 1,000 further branded networks.
Because of the wide-ranging criminal activity associated with county lines, prosecutors have a number of different laws at their disposal which they can charge individuals with on a case-by-case basis, including:
- Offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, such as slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour, human trafficking and exploitation
- Conspiracy to supply drugs
- Possession with intent to supply
- Gang injunctions under the Policing and Crime Act 2009 – for example, to prevent an individual visiting particular places
- Firearms offences and other weapons offences – county lines criminal activity often involves weapons to tackle competition or to coerce vulnerable people into drugs trafficking
- Violence against Women and Girls offences – sexual exploitation and coercive control are also sometimes used to force county lines victims into becoming involving in drugs trafficking and gang activity, with women disproportionately being affected.
County lines conspiracy to supply Class A drugs is one of the most common county lines offences suspects are charged with. Depending on the severity of the allegations, this offence can be tried in either the Magistrates Court or Crown Court, with the maximum sentence including an unlimited fine and life imprisonment.
Considering the maximum penalty in county lines sentencing is life imprisonment, it’s important to instruct solicitors who are experts in this area of law. At Conspiracy Solicitors, we can represent you whatever court you’re due to appear in, so do not hesitate to get in touch.
County lines defences
If you’re a victim of a county lines criminal network who has nevertheless been charged with a county lines offence, we may be able to use the Modern Slavery Act 2015 defence intended to protect victims of slavery and exploitation if:
- You’re over 18 years old and you were compelled to commit the county lines offence and the compulsion can be attributed to slavery or exploitation; or
- You’re under 18 years old and you’ve committed an offence as a direct consequence of having been a victim of slavery or exploitation.
We can provide further advice in relation to possible defences once you get in touch with our county lines drugs solicitors.
What rights do you have when arrested for county lines drug dealing?
If you or someone you know has been arrested or invited to the police station to interview under caution, you are entitled to legal advice.
Do not answer any questions about the alleged offence until one of our county lines solicitors is there to advise and represent you. Anything you say can be used as evidence against you, therefore, it’s essential to wait for a solicitor to guide you through the interview process.
We can attend police stations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in order to assist you.
Why choose Conspiracy Solicitor?
Conspiracy Solicitor is a dedicated team of specialist criminal defence solicitors with over 200 years of combined criminal law experience.
From county lines class A possession or supply offences to offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we will use the entire breadth of our knowledge to ensure your legal rights are respected and you’re given the best possible chance of achieving a positive outcome.
Our rigorous approach means we leave no stone unturned during our investigations or when building your defence strategy. As a result, we have a strong track record for getting our clients released from the police station without charge and with no further action being taken.
We’ve been recognised by the Law Society for our expertise in criminal defence cases with the Criminal Litigation Accreditation.
We also pride ourselves on our quality of client care, ensuring we’re there for you in your time of need whatever the time of day and we’ve received the Law Society Lexcel Accreditation in recognition of our work.
We are independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Get in touch with our county lines drugs Conspiracy Solicitors today
Do you need immediate assistance because you’ve been arrested or are being investigated for a county lines drugs conspiracy offence? Call us as soon as possible on 0333 009 5968 for standard enquiries during office hours, or WhatsApp on 07535 215140 for 24/7 emergency support.
Get in touch with our county lines lawyers for further advice today or fill in our enquiry form.
