A MAN has been charged as part of a police investigation into a county lines drug network operating in Andover.

Officers say they executed ‘simultaneous warrants’ in London and Brighton on Thursday, July 2, as part of an operation to tackle county lines drug dealing.

Operation Monument is Hampshire Constabulary’s local response to a joint operation, Operation Orochi, led by the Metropolitan Police, into county lines dealing.

The warrants were executed to locate and arrest a suspected line holder for a network active in Andover.

Alexander Derek Thomas Parsons, 24, of Arlington Road in Camden, was arrested and has been charged with being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to supply.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Southampton Crown Court on July 31.

Operation Orochi is the biggest County Lines operation police have ever delivered.

The focus is dismantling lines from the centre by targeting the line-holders who aren’t hands-on with the commodity and avoid police contact, but exploit others to run drugs across the UK.