County lines gang bosses will have their property, luxury cars and watches seized by police under laws designed to tackle corrupt oligarchs, says the head of the National Crime Agency (NCA).

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Lynne Owens said NCA investigators already have a number of county lines gangs “in their sights” where they will issue orders forcing the crime bosses to account for the source of their wealth or have it seized by the court.

The disclosure came as she warned that the Government’s focus on boosting bobbies on the beat could hamper the fight against the drugs gangs by “squeezing” funding to the NCA and other units.

She said a failure to increase the capability to combat rising organised crime could result in continuing violence on the streets, more children being abused online and more cyber attacks against the UK.

Ms Owens has called for an extra £2.7 billion to tackle the “staggering damage” caused to the UK by the 181,000 people the NCA estimates are involved in serious and organised crime at a cost of £37 billion a year, equivalent to £2,000 for each family.

The NCA issued the UK’s first “unexplained wealth order” last year against the wife of an Azerbaijan banker who spent £16 million in Harrods but Ms Owens said the tactic could counter county lines gangs who use social media to lure recruits with online displays of their flashy lifestyles and wealth.