Stephen Griffith, of the Copenhagen Youth Project in King’s Cross

PEOPLE working with youths at risk of being sucked into a life of crime have described how they are first lost to education and then exploited by criminals – as nine men were sentenced on drugs charges.

Five of the nine came from Islington and were identified following the emergence of a drugs network centred on the N1 postcode. A series of raids across Islington and other boroughs followed, leading to the seizure of class A and B drugs with an estimated value in excess of £80,000. The men were sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison.

Stephen Griffith, of the Copenhagen Youth Project in King’s Cross, said he knew some of those sentenced and described them as “victims” of a “broken” system.

One of the three initially arrested for selling drugs was a 16-year-old boy. He was released without charge after police established he was being “rented out” by another dealer to sell drugs to repay a debt he owed. While he is now being supported by an anti-weapons charity, Mr Griffith warned that without looking at the bigger picture of providing effective support to young people at risk of school exclusion, a “downward spiral” is inevitable.

Patrick Green

“Of course [he was] exploited – and maybe the terminology is wrong – but there’s a part of it that is almost destined to happen,” he said of the 16-year-old.

“I know that I can pick the kids out now that are going to be involved. I always talk about children getting excluded from school. Once they enter the PRUs [pupil referral units] it’s a downward spiral.

“It’s very hard to come out of that, because – especially if they don’t have the foundation – they’re surrounded by other young people who are also vulnerable and struggling. Then it’s just how far it goes. The worst-case scenario is prison and death. Usually prison.” Of those recently sentenced he said: “I know about five of them. They’re all part of that that really, really negative downward spiral.”

He added: “They’re all victims. They’re victims of the education system, they’re victims of the unemployment system, they’re victims of disad­vantage. The support available now is not right or good enough.

“I agree with police – I don’t want to see this in communities but it’s how you deal with it that needs to change. Young people need to be in supportive environments.”

Cannabis and money seized

Patrick Green, of the anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, based in King’s Cross, described how teenagers are groomed by older criminals and then “locked in” to crime.

“They will give you money until you then have to pay them back and then you’re caught in a debt you will never repay,” said Mr Green.

“They will lure you in, whether it’s money or status, whatever it is, and suddenly you will end up with a drug debt, you will probably be robbed of the drugs that you’re carrying, and then you will have to pay back the drug dealer over a long period of time by selling more drugs and do that for free.

“These are mechanisms that have been used for centuries.”

Det Insp Zara Baker, part of the team who made the arrests, said: “I have seen how young people are exploited by criminal groups and how their activities fuel violence in our communities.

“Drug dealing is intrinsically linked to serious violence. Nobody using illegal drugs should be fooling themselves that they’re somehow doing no harm; that is simply not the case.”

Shermant Sheraji, 24, Aaron Connor, 21, Jack Ashby, 21, Levi Moran, 22, and Louis Lillington, 49, of Islington, all pleaded guilty to drug charges and were sentenced in April and May. Sheraji also pleaded guilty to blackmail. A further four men from outside Islington were also sentenced.