Warning Parents About Snapchat Ads Enticing Kids To Become Drug Mules For County Lines Gangs

Police have issued a warning to parents about dangerous Snapchat ads that lure children into becoming drug mules for County Lines gangs.

Ads on social media have been found to offer up to £500 for those willing to sell drugs in a weekend, as well as work in exchange for mobile phones, vaporizers and clothes.

Police have been going to schools to outline risky business in the app where drug dealers are using children to ship guns, cocaine, heroin and cannabis across the UK.

The evening standard reports that gangs have been using the social media platform as one of their main tools for recruitment.

Speaking to the publication, Detective Chief Inspector Dan Mitchell, head of Scotland Yard’s county lines task force, explained that it is “difficult” to control.

“With the county lines, we see Snapchat as one of the main tools for recruitment,” he said, “We’re working with schools to build resilience in young people.” That’s the way to go, give them the knowledge to understand that this is a trap.’

She added that with county lines “inextricably linked” to serious violence and even homicide, the dangers of children becoming involved in the system leave them extremely vulnerable.

DCI Mitchell continued: ‘County line networks prey on children and youth, traffic them and subject them to modern day slavery involving horrific emotional and physical abuse.

‘Victims are coerced, through violence, blackmail and debt bondage, to withhold and supply drugs. Those involved use weapons and serious violence, including kidnapping, to intimidate and threaten victims.’

MailOnline has contacted Snapchat for comment.

The publication reports that raids carried out between February 27 and March 5 found 8.3kg of class A drugs, 37.6kg of class B drugs and more than £650,000 in cash.

It comes after a report by the Commission on Young Lives found that county drug gangs were forcing children as young as nine to pressure their grandmothers into becoming drug mules because they seemed less suspicious.

The organization that targets vulnerable children to protect them from criminalization and violence said it was aware of cases where young children have felt compelled to involve their grandparents to satisfy gang leaders.

Criminals are said to often threaten harm to the child’s family if they refuse an application or try to back out of the operation.

The harrowing description is just a small part of a final report by the commission that found it is now “the norm” for criminal gangs to use elementary school children to traffic drugs.

County line gangs have been using the social media platform as one of their main tools for recruitment. Speaking to the publication, Detective Chief Inspector Dan Mitchell, head of Scotland Yard’s county lines task force, explained that it is somewhat “difficult” to police against

The report found that the government is ‘failing’ in its duty to protect young people. ‘There are parts of our country where the state is completely failing in its duty to protect vulnerable children.

‘This goes beyond failing individuals. It is a failure that affects entire communities, generation after generation.’ He added that the problems are a “threat to (the UK’s) prosperity and security.”

Once the children have been ‘groomed’ for criminal activity, there are not many options for leaving as they are ‘controlled’ by gangs, many of which are now run by teenagers.

It came as government figures revealed that up to 200,000 children in England aged between 11 and 17 are believed to be vulnerable to serious violence.

There were 11,600 cases in which gangs were a factor and 10,140 in which the criminal exploitation of children played a role.