County Lines in Wales
At our Just Prayer meeting on Sunday 21st February we focussed on the issue of County Lines in Wales. We were really grateful to be joined by a frontline professional with personal first hand experience of tackling county lines drugs gangs in Wales. He has asked not to be named publicly. It was both a fascinating and unsettling session that helped us to gain greater insight into this relatively new form of modern slavery that is seeing vulnerable adults and young people being exploited in communities right across Wales.
Also in attendance was Lauren Medlicott who has kindly written the following article based on what we learned:
In September 2020, a thirteen-year-old boy was found in Kent carrying £1,500 in cash. Not just a bit of pocket from his mum to pop down to the shop. Police arrested the young boy and discovered that his hefty amount of money was linked to drug distribution from a flat in south east London. Upon raiding the flat, a man and woman were arrested and charged with counts of modern slavery and supplying class A drugs. The young boy was a victim of a form of modern slavery – a victim of county lines.
“County Lines”, a phenomenon currently wreaking havoc in the UK, is where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another. Historically, drugs like cocaine, crack, or heroine would be bulk bought from large cities by a user in a rural location and brought back and divided amongst local users. It was a way of getting the drugs while reducing the risk of getting caught buying. County lines has completely changed the landscape of the drug trade.
How Do County Lines Work?
Large criminal gangs in cities such as London, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Liverpool send members to smaller, rural towns throughout the UK to take over the drug trade in that area. The members walk around the town to identify vulnerable people, perhaps those with addiction or mental health issues, and find a way to get into their flat or house – for example, offering free drugs as payment to use the toilet. Once they have entered, they may make a point of showing their weapon to instil fear. Finally, they ask if it would be okay to come back and stay at the flat, using the fear they’ve created as a control tactic. The house has now been taken over - a process called “cuckooing”.
Once a base is established, the gangs in the large cities will send drug runners, often children and vulnerable individuals, to the bases to deliver drugs and collect money.
If you’re just learning about county lines, you may think this process sounds criminal, but is it modern slavery? Modern Slavery is the exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain, often involving violence, threats, and coercion. County lines is most definitely a form of modern slavery. And it is alive and well in Wales. The National Crime Agency estimates that there are around 100 county lines (for example, 1 line would be from London to Merthyr Tydfil) networks trafficking drugs into Wales.
Who are the Victims?
There are two main victims of modern slavery involved in county lines, drug runners and those that have had their flats used for cuckooing.
The drug runners tend to be teenagers, but may be children as young as six. They often have had difficult backgrounds – poverty, dysfunctional homes, foster care etc., though children from secure, safe backgrounds are increasingly becoming wrapped up in county lines too. Criminal gangs use the promise of protection, community, money, prestige, drugs, and even gifts to lure these young people. They are indoctrinated to believe that the gang is their family. However, this “family” makes children carry and sell drugs, skip school, sleep in drug dens, and keep secrets from their loved ones. Violence is often used to ensure compliance.
The other victims are those that have had their homes taken over for cuckooing. One man described his experience for a campaign for Avon and Somerset Police: “They are very clever you know. They know what they are doing. I am an addict, you know, and once they were in my house it was impossible to get them to leave. They would always tell me they are staying just one more day. They would offer me crack cocaine and heroin in exchange for staying longer. It is very difficult to say no when you’re an addict. Eventually one day turned into a week, which turned into a month. I felt helpless and thought they would never leave. They were very manipulative. There was a constant threat of violence. They would leave weapons lying around the house so that you would know they would get violent if you didn’t do what you wanted. People would come and go all the time.”
Criminal gangs target those struggling with addiction and exploit, manipulate, and threaten them to take over their home.
What Can Be Done?
Law enforcement has made tackling county lines a priority in the UK. They are working to identify where is taking place, use multi-agency working to bring together the National Crime Agency, police, regional organised crime units, health, welfare, and education spheres to tackle direct and wider issues.
Criminal gangs understand that they are on the radar of law enforcement and continuously adjust business practices to continue operating. While ultimately criminal gangs do need to be disbanded, it must not be at the risk of those exploited being punished. The victims of exploitation in county lines - both the youth and vulnerable adults - must be supported and protected