Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FACEBOOK DRUG DEALERS
Social media giant slammed over illegal adverts on buy and sell sites
FACEBOOK has been slammed over illegal drug adverts on its buy and sell sites.
Bosses at the social media giant are being urged to assist the PSNI and crack down on the posts.
PUP councillor Julie-anne Corrjohnston said: “If they are that smart they can get into people’s homes and target their phones, surely they can help police make sure justice is done.”
DRUG dealers targeting Facebook buy and sell sites are a “cancer to our society”, a councillor has said.
The social media giant has come under fire over the illegal posts and been urged to flag them with the PSNI instead of just taking them down.
PUP councillor Julie-anne Corr-johnston said: “If they are that smart that they can get into people’s homes and target their phones, surely they can help the police to make sure justice is done.”
“These dealers are actively working online and most of it is prescription drugs. They are a cancer to our society.
“I would just be concerned there is someone who is going through a difficult time and doesn’t want the stigma of it being on their medical record – so they self-medicate, particularly when it’s prescription drugs.”
The plea comes just after the PSNI had one of its own Facebook pages shut down temporarily for posting an image of drugs and money following an arrest.
Ms Corr-johnston said: “Drugs ads are popping up frequently on the buy and sell sites. This is an issue, including in the communities where people have died from taking drugs or where families are being ripped apart by addiction.”
She added she reported a number of posts that Facebook removed, but that’s as far as it went.
Ms Corr-johnston said: “All four ads were moved but first it reports them to the admins of each buy and sell site. It’s a huge concern and I think Facebook should do more. The PSNI said it’s very difficult to crack down on the ads and get to the source of it.”
Det Chief Insp David Henderson told how the force is probing the posts.
He said: “The issue of drugs is something everyone must work together to address and we would ask anyone who may have any information about the sale or distribution of illegal or prescription drugs to contact police.
“Anyone who has suspicions in relation to drug supply should contact police on 101 or alternatively information can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Facebook was yesterday criticised following a report on its role in the spread of “fake news”.
A Commons committee said boss Mark Zuckerberg had failed to show “leadership or personal responsibilty” following a year-long inquiry and that disinformation spread through the site by foreign powers was risking democracy in the UK.