More drug lines have been closed, gang leaders arrested and dangerous weapons seized than ever before due to County Lines operations.
New data released shows that 2,740 County Lines have been closed, 1,657 gang leaders charged and 961 knives were seized in 2025, News Cover reports, citing the UK government's official website.
Since the election, these operations have resulted in 3,785 line closures, 2,175 gang leaders charged and 1,229 knives taken off the streets.
County Lines are a method of drug dealing by gangs, running drugs from metropolitan cities to smaller towns – leaving a trail of exploited children and violence across the country.
The Government funds police operations under the County Lines Programme to dismantle criminal gangs that use violence and exploit children to transport drugs and knives.
The funding supports police operations which include intelligence gathering on gangs, targeted house raids and drug seizures across the transport network, putting gang leaders behind bars and ensuring the phones lines used for drug deals cannot be brought back into use.
County Lines Programme has led to a 25% reduction in hospital admissions for stabbings in key areas, preventing more than 800 stabbings a year.
The figures come as next Tuesday, the Government will launch its plan to halve knife crime within a decade. Titled “‘Protecting Lives, Building Hope”, it will save lives, transform the futures of young people and protect communities across the country.
To tackle knife crime, the Government will support young people so they get the best start in life, stop those at risk from turning to knife crime and police our streets to catch and punish perpetrators.
