Brave victim speaks after County Lines YOU BELONG Drug dealer’s taunt to kidnapped teen

A TEENAGER who was kidnapped and forced to smuggle drugs around Britain by so-called County Lines gangs has spoken about her terrifying ordeal. Malika Trotman was one of an estimated 30,000 youngsters targeted, some only 12. The kids have been intimidated into working for thugs in cities whose aim is to expand their trade into market towns and coastal resorts. The growing crime network delivers cocaine and heroin to order via mobile phone lines. Children are often groomed and exploited online in the same way sexual perverts operate. Malika is one of three teenagers who were abducted and held hostage in a house in Wales and forced to carry out deals after being told: “You belong to me now.”

Impact

The naive student was on a first date when she was taken 200 miles from home by ruthless County Lines gangster Mahad Yusuf, 21. In the guise of romance, he used Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to shower Malika with affection. She said: “I had no idea anything like this could ever happen. Now I know it is a huge problem and the experience has had a huge impact on me. “I just hope my story will help other people recognise warning signs when it comes to being befriended online. “People can seem nice on social media but they could be completely different, if not dangerous, in real life.” Malika was on a university course, which included studying criminology, when her nightmare negan. She said: “I remember getting a private message on Facebook from Mahad saying how pretty I was. “He bombarded me with messages on Snapchat and Instagram too. “He asked me loads of questions about where I lived and what I did and about my friends and family but never really gave me anything back when I asked about him.”

After a few days Malika and Yusuf exchanged numbers and shortly after that, she agreed to let him take her on a date.

She said: “I was only just 19 at the time and I hadn’t had that much attention like he gave me.

“But when I got into his car, I remember wondering what the other men were doing there.

“When I tried to back away from the car, they forced me inside and I was sat in the middle between him and another man who restrained me. It was terrifying.”

Screamed

In the driving seat was Fasal Mahamud, 20, who took Malika to a filthy drugs den in a remote location in Wales.

She said: “He grabbed my phone the second I got in the car and said ‘You belong to me now.’

“I kicked and screamed but the others restrained me. When I asked where I was being taken I was ignored. I think I just froze in shock.”

Mahamud drove to secluded land near Swansea. Malika, from Harrow, North