County Lines drug gangs reach as far north as Alness, police confirm
THE Highlands are grappling with the grim reality of so-called County Lines drug operations, with 10 separate gangs exploiting vulnerable individuals in its capital city.
Police Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Division has identified the growing footprint of organised crime over the past 18 months, with devastating consequences for the community.
The criminal networks behind County Lines originate in major cities like Liverpool, London, and the West Midlands, and use a combination of coercion, exploitation, and violence to tighten their grip on the drug trade.
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Drug dealer was in the Highlands to make some money fast
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While Inverness is the hub of their northern operations, their reach extends as far as Alness.
The County Lines model
At the heart of County Lines is a simple yet ruthless business model: gangs operate a single phone line, known as a “dealing line”, which connects them to customers in the local area.
“This is the primary means of contact,” explained Detective Chief Inspector Craig Still.
“It gives the organised group a bit of distance, so the agent sent on their behalf is found rather than the group itself.”
These “agents” – often young men with criminal records or vulnerable individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds – are sent into Inverness to carry out the gang’s work.
They stay for short periods, using local properties as bases for drug dealing, storage, and accommodation.
Current lines are dubbed the ‘Frankie’ line, Scouse Nay and Scouse Mo.
The ‘Frankie’ line is from the West Midlands and the police quickly put a dent in their work in the Highlands after an increase of fatal and non-fatal overdoses due to the presence of Nitazene in heroin.
There was also a presence from the West Balkans for a while, were operating a sophisticated set-up and dealing mostly cocaine.
Cuckooing: homes turned into drug dens
The practice of cuckooing is one of the most devastating aspects of County Lines operations. Gangs target vulnerable individuals – often those with addiction issues or mental health struggles – and take over their homes, using them as safe houses for drugs and money.
“We’ve gone into addresses where it’s completely ruined in terms of how they were living their life before,” said DCI Still.
“There are multiple people coming in and out of their house daily. Quite often, they don’t even know who these people are.”
Facilitators within Inverness, predominantly women with their own vulnerabilities, act as local contacts for the gangs.
These facilitators are paid to help identify and secure addresses, often using their own networks of vulnerable individuals.
Highland Council has said it has seen more people being targeted in the past 24 months.
A council spokesperson said: “Perpetrators involved in County Lines target our most vulnerable in society. Our health, social care and wellbeing team offer awareness training on coercive County Lines characteristics, and to help safeguard children, young people and our vulnerable adults across Highland.
“We continue to work in partnership with Police Scotland, NHS Highland and other third sector organisations to support those susceptible and affected by County Lines exploitation.”
The impact on Inverness
County Lines gangs have brought a wave of violence to Inverness.
Last year, the city saw a sharp rise in violent incidents that police attribute to these criminal networks. The drug trade itself is taking an increasingly deadly toll, with fatal and non-fatal overdoses rising.
Mike Cosh, a drug enforcement expert, revealed the scale of the problem: “Any one line can make up to £3000-£4000 a day. And that’s just what we know about.”
Although only three or four lines operate in the city at any given time, their methods have made them difficult to disrupt.
Instead of relying on one location, the gangs split their operations across multiple properties, using one for dealing, another for storage, and others for overnight stays.
“County Lines don’t tend to site themselves in one address,” said DCI Still. “It can make it really difficult to carry out enforcement.”
Exploitation at every level
While the profile of those working for County Lines gangs has shifted over time, exploitation remains a constant. Children as young as 15 have been lured into the trade with promises of cash and gifts.
In one recent case, two brothers, aged 17 and 15, were recruited from London and sent to Inverness to work for a gang.
Living in separate homes, they were expected to sell drugs daily. During a police raid, the older brother expressed concern for his younger sibling, leading to their rescue and safeguarding.
“The person who is sent here is often vulnerable themselves,” DCI Still said.
“They exploit people with significant trauma - often linked to poverty or abusive backgrounds.”
More recently, those selected tend to be men aged 18–25 with criminal histories. However, the gangs’ tactics remain unchanged: they target vulnerable people, using gifts and money to entice them before turning to violence and coercion.
Police Scotland is working to make Inverness a hostile environment for these gangs.
Enforcement remains a priority, but efforts are also being made to support the victims and facilitators of exploitation.
A County Lines Awareness Session was held this week at the force’s Inverness Headquarters, bringing together organisations from social services, social justice, and the third sector to tackle the problem collaboratively.
“We’ve had to rethink our strategy,” DCI Still said. “We wanted to invigorate our intervention work and focus on supporting vulnerable people to stop them from becoming involved again.”
Despite the challenges, there have been successes. Police Scotland has managed to disrupt several lines and send people back to their home cities. However, as DCI Still warns, there is much more to do.
“These networks are sophisticated and resourceful. But by working together, we can make Inverness a harder place for these groups to exploit,” he said.
Mr Cosh echoed the need for vigilance: “There’s more – far more than what we know [about],” he said. “But with the right strategies, we can stop these groups from destroying lives.”
Exploitation of vulnerable people and children
County Lines gangs thrive on the exploitation of those already in precarious circumstances, with people struggling with addiction and children among the most vulnerable. According to Sergeant Graham Cameron, safeguarding these individuals is essential to breaking the cycle of exploitation.
“People who are addicted don’t want to be in the position that they are in. People who have had an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) are 16 times more likely than people who have not to take heroin or crack cocaine,” he explained.
The link between trauma, addiction, and exploitation is stark. Those with problematic drug use are not just criminalised but are often victims themselves, coerced into roles that perpetuate the cycle of County Lines activity.
“If you tell someone they are worthless most of their life, they are going to believe it,” Sgt Cameron said, emphasising the importance of challenging stereotypes and focusing on safeguarding rather than prosecution.
Will there be justice?
A shocking insight into how an organised crime group from Liverpool targeted Inverness and the Highlands was given at Inverness Sheriff Court last month.
Fiscal depute David Morton detailed the sophistication of the drug dealing system used by a gang known as Scouse Jack to bring heroin and cocaine to Inverness, Nairn and Aviemore, and how intelligence gathering and tracking of mobile phones by police played a vital role in trapping the pushers.
Mr Morton told Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald that as far back as September 2019, the organised crime group was first seen to operate in and around Inverness selling heroin and cocaine.
On March 9, 2021 police received intelligence that a vehicle containing members of Scouse Jack was travelling up the A9 to Inverness and was “potentially carrying drugs”.
Police intervened leading to Carl Masher (26), from Liverpool and “vulnerable” Inverness man Christopher Gow (41), who was a drug user, appearing in court.
Mr Morton said: “Gow was trusted by the group and he trusted them and he would collect money and traffic drugs on their behalf.”
Both Masher and Gow pleaded guilty on indictment to being concernedin the supply of controlled drugs. They were due for sentencing this week, but it was deferred to December 16.
A community effort
The Highlands’ geography adds unique challenges, with Detective Inspector Craig Thomson noting how issues like connectivity and isolation exacerbate exploitation. Unlike the more visible signs of criminality seen in urban areas – such as noise from "party flats" – the hidden nature of exploitation in rural communities makes it harder to identify and intervene.
“Exploitation of our children and adults is already happening,” he said. “We need to look behind the offending – missing children, people wanting a lift somewhere – and ask what they’ve had to do in order for that.”
DI Thomson stressed the importance of partnership working across agencies, from community engagement to safeguarding efforts, to address the root causes of the issue.
“County Lines is a societal problem – we can’t do it ourselves,” he said.
Fiona Steel, national director for Scotland at Action for Children, said: “We have over 10 years’ experience protecting children and young people from exploitation by serious organised crime in Scotland and across the UK. We see first-hand the devastating consequences of exploitation for them, their families, communities and those harmed by the related crime.
“If a child you know is displaying aggressive or violent behaviour, carrying weapons or suddenly has unexplained money, multiple mobile phones and designer clothes, it may be a sign they are being exploited.
“If you’re worried about a child who is at risk of exploitation, please talk to someone about it. Contact their school, local children’s services or police and explain your concerns.
“Any parent needing further support can contact Action for Children’s Parent Talk service for free, practical advice from one of our trained parenting coaches at parent-talk.org.uk”
If you have information that may help the police, you should call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
