
Research into calls to the charity Unseen’s modern slavery and exploitation helpline has shown that more than a fifth (22 per cent) of calls from potential victims of drugs gangs are minors.
The proportion could be higher, the analysis into calls to the helpline in 2020 indicates, as 59 per cent are adult but 19 per cent did not specify their age.
Almost (85 per cent) all of calls related to drugs exploitation came from boys, with five children not specifying their gender and just one of the calls being made by a girl, research shows.
The number of those calling relating to criminal exploitation involving drugs has almost doubled across all ages over the last year during the Covid-19 pandemic, the analysis shows. However, the proportion involving minors has dropped, from 30 per cent in 2019.
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