Gang Leaders to Face 10 Years in Jail for Forcing Children to Conceal Drugs

‘Coerced internal concealment’ is often connected to County Lines drug operations, with estimates suggesting that tens of thousands of children are involved.

File photo of four police officers in Hornsey, London, on Jan. 7, 2015. Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

Gang leaders who force vulnerable people—including children—to hide drugs or cash in their bodies will face up to 10 years in prison, as part of a bill currently going through Parliament.

The Home Office confirmed on Tuesday that the new criminal offence of “coerced internal concealment” is being introduced to the Crime and Policing Bill.

It will target a practice which involves people hiding items in their bodies to avoid detection when transporting goods from one location to another.

Known by its street names as “plugging,” “stuffing,” or “banking,” the method is typically employed by organised gangs to transport drugs, money, and sim cards, either by swallowing the items or hiding them inside of their bodies.

This is often connected to County Lines drug operations, with estimates suggesting that tens of thousands of children are involved.

‘Truly Evil’

Internal concealment of foreign objects can be dangerous and even fatal, particularly if drug packages split open when inside the body.

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said the new offence will go alongside other measures in the bill “to turn the tables on gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.”

Phillips said, “There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk.”

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips during her visit to the West Midlands Police control room in Birmingham, England, on Feb. 19, 2025. Joe Giddens/PA Wire

“As part of our Plan for Change, this government will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to dismantle these drug gangs entirely and secure convictions that reflect the severity of these crimes,” she added.

County Lines

County Lines are drug dealing networks, named for the mobile phone lines used to coordinate the drug sales often across county boundaries.

They are run by “Line Holders” who coordinate “runners” to deliver drugs. Often, these runners are children and vulnerable adults, such as those with mental health problems or addictions.

According to the latest County Lines Programme data from the Home Office, 14,500 children were identified as being involved in or at risk of being involved in child criminal exploitation, though the department admits this is likely a “significant underestimate.”

The Children’s Society puts the figure closer to 46,000 children, with around 4,000 teenagers being exploited in London alone.

In order to break down the organised crime group peddling drugs and exploiting children, the government has invested £42 million this year into the County Lines Programme.

The latest statistics from the programme show that since July 2024, police have shut down 1,225 lines and arrested 2,038 people, resulting in the charging of over 800 violent offenders. There were also 2,192 safeguarding referrals for vulnerable people and children.

Cuckooing

Another form of criminal exploitation associated with County Lines is “cuckooing,” where drug dealers take over the homes of vulnerable people, such as drug addicts, the mentally ill, single parents, and even the elderly.

Drug dealers will accommodate their runners at these properties because they are less conspicuous than using their own homes or hotels.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says that while use of the properties may start out as consensual, like in cases where the resident is an addict, arrangements can “quickly sour” and gang members may use violence to occupy the property.

Last year’s raids saw police forces visit 853 addresses used by drug dealers for cuckooing.

File photo of British police officers dated Oct. 22, 2014. Joe Giddens/PA Wire

County Lines are not limited to the drugs trade. Following a major operation in December 2024 which resulted in the arrest of 1,600 people, officers confiscated firearms and bladed weapons, which NPCC County Lines lead Commander Paul Brogden said showed drug dealing continues to be linked to serious violent crime.

County Lines Evolving

County Lines have typically been associated with drug running from cities to suburban and rural areas, but researchers and law enforcement say that the structure of these networks is changing.

According to researchers from the universities of York, Liverpool, and Leeds, the term “County Lines” is now outdated, because drug distribution has also evolved to encompass the local drug supply rather than the solely “out-of-town” drug supply system originally considered typical of this form of organised crime.

Researchers said in May that as both types of drugs networks involve the exploitation of the young and vulnerable, “criminal exploitation” should be considered the defining characteristic of this crime and the focus of investigating officers across the UK.

The NPCC said in November last year that it has also observed that County Lines are becoming more localised, with fewer lines running across police force jurisdictions.

They found that external lines operating across force boundaries have reduced by 12.2 percent, while internal lines which start and end within the jurisdiction of one police force have increased by 232 percent, year-on-year.