County lines gangs ‘targeting students at top universities’ as experts issue warning - Evening Standard

County lines gangs ‘targeting students at top universities’ as experts issue warning - Evening Standard

County lines gangs ‘targeting students at top universities’ as experts issue warning - Evening Standard

Posted: 13 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

The Children's Society said students at some of the country's top seats of learning are falling victim to the £1 billion-a-year trade moving drugs from cities such as London to smaller counties.

James Simmonds-Read, the charity's national prevention manager, said often young people are promised "easy money" to act as couriers. But when the income suddenly drops, some suffer "horrific" sexual abuse filmed on mobiles to coerce and control them to carry out further crime.

A recent City Hall report identified 3,290 individuals being exploited to transport drugs from London to 41 smaller towns and cities.

Researchers say a third of 18 to 24-year-olds have lost their jobs or been furloughed in the pandemic, potentially pushing some closer to the drugs trade to generate income.

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Mr Simmonds-Read told the Standard there had been "a huge increase" in youngsters being groomed during lockdown.

He said: "A much higher proportion of families are looking for support because of the poverty they have found themselves in. We have real concerns when the furlough scheme ends that's only going to get worse. We know county lines affects children of all backgrounds. Middle class children and those from wealthy backgrounds are absolutely being targeted to move and distribute drugs.

"Sometimes that transportation can be within their own bodies. We're working with high-profile universities that largely wealthy students would go to."

The Children's Society's Look Closer campaign wants the Government to define child criminal exploitation in law and adopt a new national strategy to tackle the issue. It says there is a postcode lottery when it comes to identifying and supporting young people.

Mr Simmonds-Read added: "Some of these students are forced to participate in group sex situations with the trauma that causes. It's about having a hold over them, either by raping them or using bravado to pressure them into having sex when they don't want to.

"They will film the sexual abuse and that's another tool that can be used as blackmail to carry out acts."

County lines gangs adapted their business model during lockdown by getting teenagers to pose as key workers to evade police. The charity is calling on train staff, postal workers, plumbers, taxi and delivery drivers to look out for signs of abuse.

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