Gang members wear medical masks to sell drugs on street
GANG members are wearing medical masks to disguise themselves while selling drugs outside supermarkets, charity leaders have revealed.
Nathaniel Peat, founder of the Safety Box, a charity which works with highrisk offenders across the South East of England, said the new tactic is being used to evade police detection.
Mr Peat warned that drug dealers are waiting near cash dispensers outside popular shopping locations to sell narcotics to people withdrawing money.
He said gangs are putting on protective masks in the hope that patrol officers will mistake them for “college students” taking precautions to protect themselves from coronavirus.
Mr Peat, whose role includes safeguarding, predicts the level of crime could rise as county line gangs recruit vulnerable young people no longer attending school.
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he said: “There could be disorder in terms of anti-social behaviour. Just today in Wood Green, a young offender came up to me wearing a protective mask and offered me some marijuana.
“These people put their hoods up, wear their trousers low and have masks on because they want to fight the virus. But the masks also go with their culture as they are used to cover their face. To police, they look just like a young person being cautious, instead of someone assumed to be selling drugs.”
Youth charities have raised concerns that those on the peripheries of crime are at risk following the closure of schools and community centres.
They said it would be harder to stage interventions for those from vulnerable homes without teachers flagging up behaviour witnessed in the classroom and outside school gates.
Patrick Green, the chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “When I heard the announcement, I felt relief in terms of the response to the virus as schools in the UK follow most in Europe in keeping teachers and students safe. But, there are concerns on the loss of schools and the important role they play in young people’s lives. They are safe places which provided pastoral care, as well as a good early warning system in terms of safeguarding.
“Where you have good family structures and discipline, those young people will probably adapt, but that may not be present for some young people, like those with special educational needs. They may be more likely at a loose end and influenced by gangs.”