More than 1,100 people have been arrested and 292 weapons seized as part of a national crackdown on county lines drug dealing gangs. During the week of action 1,138 vulnerable people were safeguarded, including 573 children.
In response, Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:
“This is a significant operation to disrupt county lines gangs and means hundreds of children have now been rescued from criminal exploitation.
“Criminal gangs coerce and manipulate vulnerable children and young people through a range of methods including violence, threats to family members and sexual abuse. Once trapped, children can be forced to deliver drugs and carry knives to protect themselves from other gangs. Although a large number of children have been rescued in this operation, it is likely to be just a small fraction of those being exploited in the UK today.
“We must be clear that this type of exploitation is child abuse. It is therefore vital that children involved in these activities are protected and not criminalised. This is why Barnardo’s is calling for a legal definition of child criminal exploitation, so that all professionals respond to these children as victims and not criminals.”