Gang leaders who force children to conceal drugs to face 10 years in jail
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Government to create new law in drug trafficking crackdown
- The Government is proposing a new law to criminalise the practice of "plugging", where gang leaders coerce vulnerable people into concealing drugs and cash inside their bodies.
- The amendment will be incorporated into the Crime and Policing Bill to combat county lines drug operations, where children and vulnerable adults are often forced to swallow or hide items, risking serious harm and fatal overdose.
- Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said the new offence aims to hold gang leaders accountable and could lead to a decade in prison.
- The government has committed £42 million to tackle county lines gangs, resulting in over 800 violent criminals charged and 1,200 drug lines closed since July 2024.
- Jack O’Neill of The Children’s Society said that children forced to carry drugs are victims of abuse and exploitation.