FIFTEEN men and women have been charged this evening following one of the largest synchronised operations to combat county lines drug trafficking.

A combined force of Merseyside Police, Police Scotland and North Wales Police saw more than 300 officers execute 24 warrants as part of Operation Tide, a cross border series of synchronised early morning raids on Thursday, September 5 - one being in Kingsley Road in Garden City.

The Leader:

Operation Tide drug raids across North Wales, Merseyside and also in Scotland as part of the fight against county lines drug trafficking. [Image by Kerry Roberts / KR050919a.]

This evening, following a series of interviews and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, 12 men and three women have been charged with drug trafficking offences. Two of the men have also been charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Eight of those charged are from Merseyside, six are from North Wales and one is from Scotland.

A spokesman for the North Flintshire Policing Team said: “In addition to the work we’ve done locally in the last few weeks, yesterday saw the culmination of months of work into dismantling an OCG (organised crime group) operating in Deeside. A big step in making North Flintshire a safer place.”

They will all appear before court on Saturday, September 7, where a remand in custody will be sought.

Here is a list of who they are and where they will appear…

Mold Magistrates Court:

• Dave Rawling from Merseyside

• Edward White from Merseyside

• James Michael Hughes from North Wales

• Keith Furmedge from Merseyside

• Lisa Tinson from North Wales

• Patricia Massingham from Merseyside

• Peter Powell from North Wales

• Toni Stagg from North Wales

Llandudno Magistrates Court:

• Anthony Fahy from North Wales

• Colin Jones from Merseyside

• Jack Jones from Merseyside

• Leon Langford from North Wales

• Richard Anderson from Scotland

• Shaun Dooley from Merseyside

• Steven Dooley from Merseyside