More than 100 people have been arrested during a coordinated week of police activity targeting drug supply and child criminal exploitation across the South West.

Operation Scorpion brought together the region’s five police forces: Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, along with their Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit. The partnership combines resources to target drug networks and make the region a hostile environment for organised crime.

Across the week, officers carried out arrest and search warrants, stopped vehicles, seized drugs and weapons, and identified vulnerable people who may have been exploited by dealers. Drones were also used to track suspects.

Phones taken from those suspected of dealing were examined, allowing officers to identify vulnerable people on contact lists. Ten people in Devon and Cornwall, and others elsewhere, were sent messages with details of support services.

Across the South West, 112 arrests were made. Officers seized more than £67,000 in cash, 52 kilograms of cannabis, including 868 plants, and recovered three firearms along with imitation weapons. Forty-eight people were safeguarded, including five children.

In Devon and Cornwall, police made 27 arrests, safeguarded 21 people, including one child, seized more than £17,000, and recovered 308 cannabis plants. Two guns, an imitation firearm and six other weapons were also taken off the streets.

This phase of Operation Scorpion focused particularly on child criminal exploitation, where young people are groomed or coerced into committing crimes on behalf of organised groups. Officers carried out school visits to raise awareness of county lines activity and how to access help. In Devon and Cornwall, 400 pupils in Helston received a talk on exploitation, while a Plymouth school hosted the charity Escape Line.

Police Cadets in Camborne distributed leaflets in areas affected by cuckooing (where criminals take over the homes of vulnerable people to store drugs or weapons), and spoke to residents to encourage reporting of suspicious activity.

British Transport Police worked with Devon and Cornwall Police during a high-visibility operation at Plymouth Railway Station and on trains into south-east Cornwall. The aim was to deter offenders and identify children or vulnerable adults being exploited while travelling.

A region-wide awareness campaign also ran on social media, with targeted TikTok and Snapchat content designed to reach young people.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thorne said the results showed the force’s commitment to reducing drug-related harm. “Operations like this send a clear message that we will continue to target those who choose to profit from causing harm in our communities.

“The outcomes reflect the support of the public, who play an important role in helping us identify and disrupt criminal activity, and the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said communities were “fed up” with drug dealing and associated harm. “The cash, drugs and weapons seized tell only part of the story,” she said. “There is also the violence, coercion and exploitation of children and adults caught up in distribution networks.

“If you suspect drug activity, please tell the police or report it anonymously through Crimestoppers. Every report is valuable.”

Information can be reported to Devon and Cornwall Police online or by calling 101. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.