The conviction of Birmingham man Zakaria Mohammed is the first time a conviction has been secured for child trafficking offences related to county lines under the Modern Slavery Act (2015).
The legislation introduced tougher sentences for those who traffick children and exploit them for criminal purposes, including sexual exploitation and drug networks.
County lines involves gangs from urban areas who exploit children to set up drug distribution networks to rural areas, market towns and coastal areas.
Gangs and drug dealers often use violence and intimidation to set up and maintain such networks. This also includes forcing vulnerable people from their homes to set up drug dealing bases, a practice known as "cuckooing".
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