How young girls are being exploited to carry drugs across the country

"Georgina was still a child when she revealed she had already been in a series of abusive relationships with men connected to county lines activity. By the time she was a teenager, she was struggling with her mental health, fractured attachments and harmful coping mechanisms, including regular cannabis use and self-harm."

"Charities have warned that young girls are increasingly being targeted by county lines grooming gangs, a term used to describe organised criminal groups who use children and vulnerable adults to carry out illegal activity on their behalf."

"Perpetrators often begin with compliments, physical gifts such as clothes or money, sending loving emojis and even offering beauty treatments such as Botox fillers. Victims are then often persuaded to move from platforms such as Snapchat or TikTok to encrypted messaging apps."

"The short answer is absolutely yes. In some ways, it has worsened in the past 12 months. While the methods of recruitment were sophisticated before, in 2026, it has added another layer, and we are seeing girls increasingly being coerced and abused."

Georgina experienced a series of abusive relationships and a troubled upbringing, leading to mental health struggles and harmful coping mechanisms. At 17, she was coerced into drug transportation by her partner. Charities report a rise in young girls being targeted by county lines grooming gangs, who use social media for recruitment. These gangs employ tactics like compliments and gifts to manipulate victims, often moving them to encrypted messaging apps. The situation has worsened in recent years, with more girls being coerced into these criminal activities.

Read at www.independent.co.uk