Overview

• On July 17, West Midlands Police’s County Lines Taskforce executed warrants at multiple Birmingham and Coventry addresses, confiscating over £115,000 in bundled £5, £10 and £20 notes alongside significant quantities of cocaine and heroin.
• Three suspects—Rowen Picken, 31; Alice Yates, 31; and Madat Ali, 54—have been charged with offences including possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply and remain remanded ahead of a July 18 court appearance.
• The enforcement action forms part of Operation Target, which combines intelligence led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and local multi-agency collaboration to disrupt county lines logistics and financing.
• Since late 2024, a string of NPCC-coordinated campaigns—including a nationwide December operation and a week of action in early July—has focused on dismantling networks that exploit vulnerable individuals.
• West Midlands Police highlight that sustained warrants and cash seizures are central to undermining organised crime’s financial structure and protecting communities from drug exploitation.