³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Two men have been charged after cannabis worth £6.1m was recovered in a police operation in Manchester.

Craig Tomlinson, 50, from Motherwell, and Xiaowu Chen, 56, from Manchester, appeared in different magistrates courts charged with supplying the drug.

British Transport Police said 250kg of cannabis was found at an address in Manchester.

It was part of a county lines taskforce operation, where 45 people were stopped and searched and raids were carried out at three addresses in Manchester, Rochdale and West Mercia.

County lines describes organised crime networks that transport drugs across police and council boundaries - usually using vulnerable people who are coerced into it.

The operation also resulted in a 17-year-old being charged with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine. A knife and £30,000 in cash were also seized.

Two children were also referred to safeguarding services after officers intervened on the rail network.

One adult was also safeguarded at a cuckooed address - where the home of someone vulnerable is taken over by a criminal for sex work or drugs.

Operation Blume was led by British Transport Police and supported by other forces and the National Crime Agency.

Det Supt Craig Payne, of BTP’s County Lines Taskforce, said it was a "hugely successful operation".

He said: “Our dedicated team works across the whole rail network every day tackling this exploitative activity and is pivotal in intercepting the supply of drugs and making safeguarding interventions to protect vulnerable people."

Craig Tomlinson and Xiaowu Chen were remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on 12 December.