Children aged as young as eight operating as 'drug runners'
Research shows the youngest age reported for drug runners fell to eight in 2022. Picture: Getty
Children as young as eight are reported to be operating as “drug runners” in a West Dublin suburb that is still reeling from a shocking gangland attack on Christmas Eve which resulted in the death of two men.
Detailed research indicates that children as young as 10 are working as drug dealers in the wider Blanchardstown area.
The 156-page study, now it is eighth year, is conducted by the Blanchardstown Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force (BLDATF).
Local man Jason Hennessy Snr, an associate in the area’s dominant drug gang, based in Corduff, was fatally shot while having dinner with family and friends at Browne’s restaurant on Christmas Eve.
His killer Tristan Sherry, originally from Blanchardstown, was overpowered and fatally injured.
Local sources have told the that the Corduff drug gang has extensively recruited young men into its network.
The Drugs and Alcohol Trends Monitoring System 2023 report by the BLDATF, which uses 2022 data, covers Dublin 15, a mixture of disadvantaged and affluent areas.
It said that since 2016 there has been an increase in the number of under-18s dealing drugs.
It said the normal age of drug dealers was 16, the same as the previous two years. But the youngest age of dealers has fallen, from 12 in 2020 and 2021 to 10.
In relation to drug runners — children used to carry and deliver drugs to dealers — the typical age was 12 in 2022, the same as in 2021. However, the youngest age reported for runners was just eight in 2022, compared to 10 in 2021.
The report said children are drawn in by “social status” and “easy money” and in other circumstances because of family involvement in dealing. In some cases drug-related intimidation could be a factor in order to pay off drug debts.
The research, conducted by Janet Robinson and Jim Doherty, said the context was one of increased availability and use of drugs, more dealers, and an ongoing “normalisation” of alcohol and drug use.
There was also more competition between dealers, including home deliveries and cashless payments, such as through Revolut.
Alcohol was the most normalised drug, followed by cannabis herb, cocaine powder, and benzodiazepines.
The report also examined the “hidden harm” of drug and alcohol use where users have children. It said 45% of users in treatment had children, up from 41% in 2021, affecting almost 990 children.
It said the use of cannabis edibles “during school time” was first reported in 2022.
It said service providers reported an increase in mental health issues among children and young people and that there was a need to increase access services.
The report said antisocial behaviour and visible drug use were the most reported drug-related crimes, with drug-related intimidation also a persistent issue.
It said drug-related intimidation takes many forms, including forcing victims to hold drugs or firearms or distribute drugs to pay off debts.
It said “cuckooing”, where dealers take over the house of a user, was reported for the first time in 2022.
The research said Garda help was rarely sought for drug-related intimidation, with 71% of victims not reporting it, compared to 42% in 2021 and 66% in 2020, with fear being the dominant reason.
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