Children aged 12 used by gangs to deal in drugs
CHILDREN as young as 12 are being arrested for dealing cannabis in south Wales after suppliers target them on social media, a drugs charity has warned.
A report by think tank Volteface says children are being “exploited” to deal cannabis on adults’ behalf.
In the last five years, South Wales Police has arrested three 12-year-olds.
Jamie Harris, service manager for substance misuse charity Barod – which provides services across south and west Wales – said he believed social media was playing a part in children ending up becoming drug dealers.
He said: “There’s an increase in availability of drugs in the UK, the strength and purity of the drugs is also stronger and there’s a demand for drugs.
“Social media is a tool where children can be exploited, due to their profiles being visible to the public. This makes it easier for young people who are vulnerable to be targeted to transport drugs.”
But he said children should not be treated as criminals in such circumstances.
“Children don’t see the risks, I don’t think that this should be a crime though, if a child is caught dealing drugs, then something is clearly wrong and they should be spoken to.”
He said schools and parents also had a role to play in protecting young people.
“Schools and parents should also be aware of this and identify any changes in behaviour and also be aware of the support that is avaliable.
“Children could give into peer pressure, although children aged eleven is an example of an extreme case, this can happen.
A national poll commissioned by Volteface has revealed that young people perceive cannabis to be easier to buy than alcohol.
As an illegal drug, there are no age restrictions on its purchasing and it is commonly distributed through “peer networks”.
The rise of social media platforms, such as Snapchat and Instagram, had also facilitated easy access for young people, according to Volteface
The report also suggested that young people across the UK were increasingly being criminalised for offences involved in the supply of cannabis, with fewer adults coming before the courts.
South Wales Police confirmed that in the past five years there had been three arrests of children aged 12 years old for the offence of possession with intent to supply cannabis.
The last of these was in the year 2013/14.
Of these arrests, one 12 year-old received a caution. No information was available on what happened to the other two.
Police across the UK have been dealing with the phenomenon of “county lines” gangs in recent years, which sees organised crime groups from major cities such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool extending their drug dealing enterprises across boundaries.
They often use young people or vulnerable adults to deliver their drugs, coercing them with payments or gifts or by forcing them through intimidation and violence.
Police have also been raising awareness of so-called “cuckooing”, where drug dealers take over the property of a vulnerable person and use it as a base of operaions.