Gangs using teens to sell drugs on streets

the ‘bigger picture’ with such issues and matters around coercion, but that they still have to deal with ‘serious’ offending.

Other issues can include intimidation and the phenomenon of ‘cuckooing’, in which dealers take over someone’s house for a short time as a base of operations.

There have been incidents of young people dealing in which officers have ‘strongly suspected they have been under pressure or being coerced’.

He urged residents to come forward with any information on organised crime and drug dealing so offenders can be caught and he stressed that drug users including casual weekend consumers should be mindful of the sometimes violent working practices involved in the organisations behind the dealing.

On teenagers being exploited as dealers, Supt Cleworth said: “I would describe it as a significant issue, for law enforcement and for communities.

“But’s it’s more than just young people.

“What you often see in terms of drug dealing enterprises, particularly those in organised crime groups (OCGs), often within our area of Halton and into Merseyside, the OCGs will bring people into that network who are vulnerable and exploit them – that may be young peo- ple, lads who are known to them who may run up debt or are in debt in other ways and they will get them dealing for them and that will be accompanied by ‘you’ve got to pay this off’ of face threats of violence and we’ve seen that with very young people aged 16 to 17, coming into the borough selling drugs. “What we’ve seen that is just as significant is exploitation of vulnerable people with activity known as ‘cuckooing’ where they (dealers) want to have a base somewhere in Runcorn or Widnes and they’ve effectively taken over the house and run the enterprise from that address.” He added: “In terms of a challenge, it’s a significant one. “You’ve got people who themselves are vulnerable and despite being involved in the sale of drugs are vic- tims of coercion and exploitation.

“It’s a challenge to gain evidence from them and gain prosecutions, and these people are committing quite serious offences that have to be tackled as well.

“It brings with it a whole raft of difficult issues to tackle – it’s something we’re well aware of and trying to tackle from a local and national level.

“And in terms of a message to communities and people out theres, the key thing for us is that underneath supply there’s very often a very violent organised crime network.

“People who buy a bit of cannabis and coke for the weekend need to understand that behind the dealer is a lot of misery and violence, people being threatened and people being exploited and I don’t often think people see that.”

Call Cheshire police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.