Children groomed by criminal gangs to work in drugs trade, Prime Time report reveals
Ellen O'Donoghue
Children as young as seven are being groomed by criminal gangs to work transporting drugs and cash in areas around Ireland.
That is according to an RTÉ Prime Time programme, which spoke to young people formerly involved in the drugs trade and frontline workers supporting affected communities, including near O'Connell Bridge, over several weeks of filming.
In one inner city location, according to the report, teenagers travelling on e-scooters were filmed conducting drug transactions in broad daylight while spotters appeared to warn them of approaching Garda patrols.
The programme also spoke to young people who had become involved in the drugs trade as children.
One contributor, identified as Jonathon, described how vulnerable people are recruited to transport drugs and cash because they are unlikely to attract suspicion.
“When you see a child with a backpack at 9am, you would assume the child is in a uniform walking down the road to school,” he said.
“Instead, that child has two kilogrammes of cocaine in their backpack, and they're on the way to deliver it.”
Jonathon, who is now in his late teens, said children as young as seven or eight are being used to carry drugs and related paraphernalia.
The issue has also been raised with public representatives by people working in some schools.
Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly said teachers in the Drogheda area had reported concerns directly to her.
“I've been made aware of the fact that children as young as seven are involved in drug muling, bringing drugs in their school bags as far as the school gates, and then at an older age, from nine and ten years old, being brought in to sell drugs," Butterly said.
"This is hugely concerning because people are targeting vulnerable children and their families who are equally vulnerable.”
Following review of Prime Time's hidden filming footage, criminologist Trina O'Connor said it is "very troubling, particularly the age of them.
"Many of them are being groomed into serious criminality... It's really troubling to see somebody that young dealing in an open area like that so blatantly.”
RTÉ reporter Conor McMorrow is to highlight growing concerns among community workers, educators and policymakers about the exploitation of children by organised crime networks and the increasing visibility of youth involvement in the drugs trade on the programme on Thursday.
The Prime Time report airs on Thursday, June 4th at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
