Gang member jailed for 15 years for ‘ride-out’ and running drugs line from prison – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A member of one of Waltham Forest’s organised crime groups who took part in ‘ride-out’ against a rival gang before going on to run a drugs line from inside prison, has been jailed for 15 years.’

Full Story

Crown Prosecution Service, 11th October 2019

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Number of British modern slavery victims up 72% in a year, figures show – The Independent

Posted October 14th, 2019 in children, drug trafficking, forced labour, gangs, news, statistics by tracey

‘The number of British people identified as modern slavery victims has surged by 72 per cent in a year, according to figures, fuelling concerns about “county lines” drugs gangs and other forms of labour exploitation.’

Full Story

The Independent, 14th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Magistrates raise concerns over county lines defence ‘loophole’ – The Guardian

‘A legal defence for children who claim they are being exploited by county lines drug gangs needs to be monitored more closely, the Magistrates’ Association has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Concerns raised over prosecution of trafficked British children – The Guardian

‘The children’s commissioner is raising concerns with the Crown Prosecution Service about young victims of human trafficking being prosecuted rather than protected, following a Guardian investigation.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

County lines epidemic blamed as number of children missing or linked to drugs gangs doubles – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 16th, 2019 in children, drug trafficking, gangs, missing persons, news by tracey

‘County lines drug networks have been blamed for a huge spike in the number of children identified as having links to gangs, after the figure more than doubled in three years.

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Albanian crime boss who ran multi-million pound drugs racked ordered to pay only £14,380 – Daily Telegraph

‘An Albanian drugs kingpin who ran a multi-million pound cocaine racket only has to pay back £14,380 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) requested a “risible” sum, a judge has complained.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Gang guilty of London to Cornwall county lines drug operation – The Guardian

Posted September 4th, 2019 in children, conspiracy, drug trafficking, gangs, news, young offenders by sally

‘Seven gang members have been found guilty of running a sophisticated county lines operation in which heroin and crack cocaine were shipped from London to Cornwall with vulnerable young people exploited to sell drugs.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Chicken shop’ drug gangs recruit children with food, inquiry finds – The Guardian

Posted August 12th, 2019 in children, drug trafficking, gangs, news, offensive weapons, select committees by tracey

‘Criminal “chicken shop gangs” are recruiting children to deal drugs with the offer of free food, a parliamentary investigation has found. So-called chicken shop grooming was described in written evidence submitted to the youth select committee, which is investigating the UK’s knife crime epidemic.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rural crime in Britain hits seven-year high – The Guardian

Posted August 5th, 2019 in agriculture, gangs, insurance, news, statistics, theft by tracey

‘Rural crime has hit a seven-year high, costing the UK £50m in 2018, a report says. In its annual study of offences against farmers and rural businesses, the insurer NFU Mutual found rural crime in 2018 was up 12% on the previous year.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police use of child spies in criminal gangs is lawful, high court rules – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2019 in children, drug trafficking, gangs, news, police, spying by sally

‘Police recruitment and use of child spies to penetrate “county lines” drug gangs and other criminal or terrorist organisations is lawful, the high court has ruled.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 8th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK slavery network ‘had 400 victims’ – BBC News

‘Members of a gang behind the biggest modern-day slavery network ever exposed in the UK have been jailed.’

Full Story

BBC News, 5th July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inside the 21st-century British criminal underworld – The Guardian

‘There are almost 5,000 criminal gangs in the UK. But the old family firms are gone – today’s big players are multinational, diversified and tech-savvy.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 4th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Girl gang members spared jail after bus stop attack on student – The Guardian

‘Four members of a girl gang who inflicted a “sustained and horrific” bus stop attack on a frightened Egyptian student who later died have been given non-custodial sentences.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cocaine gang jailed after £20m seizure on M6 in Cheshire – BBC News

Posted June 12th, 2019 in conspiracy, drug offences, drug trafficking, gangs, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Two drugs gang bosses have been jailed after cocaine with a street value of £20m was seized from a van on the M6 in Cheshire.’

Full Story

BBC News, 11th June 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Youth gang members receive life sentences after vicious attack on rival – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Four young men, three of them teenagers, received life sentences today (21 May 2109) after a Snapchat video and a conversation between offenders in the back of a police van helped secure their conviction for the murder of a 16-year-old boy.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 21st May 2019

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Number of UK child slavery cases up by nearly 800% in two years, figures show – The Independent

‘Child slavery cases in the UK have surged by nearly 800 per cent in just two years, new figures show. Data published in the Modern Slavery Police Transformation Programme’s annual report show there were 475 police operations into child slavery in the UK last month, compared with 53 in April 2017.’

Full Story

The Independent, 22nd May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

First county lines drug dealing gang jailed using modern slavery laws – Daily Telegraph

‘Three drug dealers have become the first gang to be jailed under modern slavery laws for using children to traffic crack cocaine and heroin in so-called county lines operations.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 14th May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

London ‘boy-snatch robbery’ moped gang jailed – BBC News

‘Members of a moped gang who threatened to hurt a woman’s three-year-old son in a “shocking” attempted robbery have been jailed.’

Full Story

BBC News, 13th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK’s organised crime threat at record level, warns National Crime Agency – The Guardian

Posted May 13th, 2019 in brexit, budgets, crime prevention, gangs, internet, investigatory powers, news, police by sally

‘Britain risks losing the fight against organised crime unless police receive significant new resources to tackle the “chronic and corrosive” threat from such groups, the head of the National Crime Agency has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Secretary to take action against violent content online – Home Office

Posted April 25th, 2019 in gangs, internet, police, press releases, violence by tracey

‘A new £1.4 million social media hub will be fully operational at the end of May.’

Full press release

Home Office, 24th April 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office