Essex gang leader who used children to supply drugs jailed

A drug-dealer who employed children to supply crack cocaine and heroin on the streets has been jailed.

Liam Atkins, 24, of Ashanti Close in Shoeburyness, Essex, was charged with and admitted to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in Southend from October.

He was linked to "managing" the Pedro drugs line which was discovered after Essex Police's Operation Raptor investigation into a Class A drug user's phone.

Basildon Crown Court was told the 24-year-old had actively tried to recruit young people into the drug-deal operation which ended up using two young people.

When Atkins was arrested in January, money as well as a drug-line phone were found at his address.Officers also found messages on his personal phone in connection to finding young people to run the drugs.

They also discovered Atkins had sole control of the operation during the period of the police investigation.The drug-dealer was sentenced to four years in prison.Acting Det Insp Rob Maile, of Op Raptor South from Essex Police, said: "The dangerous and risky work is undertaken by those they can either exploit or enlist with the, often false, promise of financial gain or reward.

“Sadly, this often leads to the recruitment of children – either easily influenced or coerced into working with those holding the drug line phone.

“We are working hard to address this cruel reality. We have specialist safeguarding officers within Operation Raptor, who work to identify those being exploited.

“Children coerced or threatened into running drugs for lines like the Pedro line will be treated as victims."

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