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LadyEllen -> drug gangs' new stock in trade (4/3/2008 4:52:49 AM)
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This was reported on TV last week, and Level's Mosquito thread jogged my memory on it - these are the sort of scumbags who prey on kids hanging out in the street.
Apparently, with the price of drugs falling to ever lower levels, gangs are not making the kind of profits they would like, and have turned to a whole new level of depravity in making up their income.
Initially, they were into bringing east European girls over here with bogus promises of office work and the like. Once here, the girls would be sold as slaves into prostitution. But the police have been under a lot of pressure to disrupt this and theyve had some notable results, so the gangs have changed their source of supply.
What they do now is to seek out young British girls - but not any British girls; only the white girls, and befriend them. The girls think they have a wonderful older boyfriend, who looks after them, buys them things and treats them like an adult, allowing and encouraging them to drink, smoke and have ample access to drugs. Once hooked, theyre sold into prostitution. The whole thing is better than bringing in girls from outside the country, because these girls dont need accomodating as they go home when their work is done.
By then, the girls are far too frightened and ashamed to do anything or say anything to friends or family. And with good reason. Because of the grooming process the gangs know where they live, and make threats to firebomb homes should a word be breathed of whats going on. The gangs can act with impunity with threats to the girls' whole world. They phone the girls at home when its time for work.
The technique of course is nothing new. Pimps have done it for years. Whats new is the industrial level of operation.
One case featured was that of two girls from Bradford who fell into this world. When they threatened to tell they were each beaten, and because of the beating the social services got involved. The girls were taken from their homes and put in care 100 miles away. A very short time later, their "boyfriends" showed up at the care home and abducted them, raped and beat them again. The "boyfriends" got sentences of just six years each - which means three years under early release, less time served on remand awaiting trial.
When one considers the possible penalties for the gang members, in the very unlikely circumstance they are ever charged, against the profits, it would seem a reasonable business risk. And with the supply of goods constant, cheap and willing, and a healthy market for sales and profits, its an attractive proposition.
E
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