There is a terrible truth to the supply of cocaine and other ‘party drugs’, of which most of those who buy or take are completely unaware.
In order to get drugs, including ‘party drugs’, to those who take them, a supply chain of violence, grooming and modern slavery is established. Local children are being targeted right now, purely to move drugs and money through our city, up and down to London and beyond, in county lines.
County line drug gangs exploit vulnerable people, particularly children, by recruiting them to distribute the drugs, often referred to as ‘drug running’. They are forced to carry drugs between locations, usually on trains or coaches. Sometimes made to swallow or hide drugs inside their bodies so not to be detected. They are also forced to sell drugs to local users.
We have created #MerryMuletide a hard-hitting social media campaign that educated party going residents about the back story behind their illegal drugs. This year, the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit, Essex County Council and Thurrock Council are joining with Southend and Essex Police to bring #MerryMuletide to the whole county and educate the public about the young people behind “just that one pill” or “one line of coke won’t hurt.” Images from the campaign can be seen and downloaded on our Flickr channel.
While some young people are more at risk of being groomed than others, any young person could be at risk of being targeted by county line drug gangs. Children as young as 12 years old are recruited, often using social media, often enticed into the gang lifestyle with drugs, alcohol, money and the promise of friendship or a relationship.
People exploited in this way will quite often be exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse, they may not recognise themselves as victims, they don’t see that they have been groomed by older gang members to take part in criminal activity.
County Lines are run by gangs and a result there is a strong link between County Lines and violence with these children caught up in the middle of rival gang wars. It is a dangerous abusive and exploitative world.
It’s time for us all to know the reality of this activity, and to understand how what can be perceived as “a bit of festive fun” is directly destroying the lives of children in our city and our county.
#MerryMuletide
