Police officers want restrictions on the use of pay-as-you-go phones to help tackle county lines drug gangs.
Officers suggested people “should have to register personal details when buying a mobile phone or replacement SIM card” to prevent the handsets and numbers being used for drug dealing.
The recommendations come from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.
The term county lines is used to describe gangs and organised criminal groups distributing drugs from typically larger cities to smaller towns around the country, using mobile phones to arrange deals with suppliers and buyers.
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