Five people have been arrested in dawn raids targeting a suspected county lines network that ran from north London to Norwich.

Metropolitan Police officers raided nine addresses in Hackney, Ilford, Tottenham, Enfield and Islington on Wednesday, in an operation targeting gang members.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs since April last year, and “a large amount of cash” was seized.

Detective Inspector Dave Williams said: “Violence and county drug lines are inextricably linked and this causes untold misery for families affected and the wider community.

“My officers have been out to nine addresses and arrested gang members who we know are running a county lines route out to Norwich often using vulnerable young children to do their bidding whilst they profit from the illicit funds and use extreme levels of violence to protect their drugs markets.”

Officers from both Norfolk and the Metropolitan Police have been working since early 2019 to bring the network down.

There are thought to be around 2,000 county lines networks running in England and Wales, with their activity affecting every police force.