County Lines: Calls to review pay-as-you go phones

Police officers want restrictions on the use of pay-as-you-go phones to help tackle county lines drug gangs, according to report.

Officers suggested people “should have to register personal details when buying a mobile phone or replacement SIM card” to prevent the handsets and numbers being used for drug dealing, the findings by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said.

The term county lines is used to describe gangs and organised criminal groups distributing drugs from typically larger cities to smaller towns around the country, using mobile phones to arrange deals with suppliers and buyers.

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