Monday 28 November 2022 08:20 PM Fury at NY Times over another anti-UK story: Police and prosecutors slam county ... trends now
Police and prosecutors responded with fury today after it was claimed that modern slavery laws are being used disproportionally against black drug dealers.
In a New York Times article based on a landmark county lines case, it was claimed Britain is employing ‘hardline tactics’ using a law written to prevent human trafficking to penalise ‘low-level drug dealers’.
The paper cited experts claiming ‘like other criminal justice tools, the modern slavery law is being wielded disproportionately against black people.’
But yesterday a top officer leading the fight against county lines drugs networks denied any ‘racial bias’ in prosecutions.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty, who leads the National Police Chiefs' Council on the subject, denied any ‘racial bias’ in prosecutions
In a New York Times article based on a landmark county lines case, it was claimed Britain is employing ‘hardline tactics’ using a law written to prevent human trafficking to penalise ‘low-level drug dealers’
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty, who leads the National Police Chiefs' Council on the subject said: ‘I do not think this is an accurate representation.
‘Most of the people charged under modern slavery laws are white.
‘My team has researched this and the majority of offenders are white.
‘This legislation is intended to stop young and vulnerable people being exploited into drug dealing.
‘I am not aware of any racial bias at all.
‘Forces follow the phone number that controls the drug line when they start investigating. They are not initially aware of who is behind it.
‘I think there is potentially a misunderstanding of the way the legal system works here.’
The newspaper claimed a survey of five years’ worth of local news reports shows that most of the defendants in drug-related slavery cases were black men under 21.
But the latest Ministry of Justice figures on modern slavery prosecutions show that 30 of those prosecuted in the year to June were white, compared to six black defendants.
In the last five years the overwhelming majority of defendants prosecuted have been white, and in some years there have been no black people prosecuted.
Yet in an extraordinary broadside on British criminal justice system, the New York Times claimed today that ‘black people are disproportionately affected by those tactics’ citing the prosecution of county lines drug dealer Glodi Wabelua under modern slavery laws for exploiting children.
The New York Times claimed today that ‘black people are disproportionately affected by those tactics’ citing the prosecution of county lines drug dealer Glodi Wabelua
The 29-year-old was one of the first drug dealers in the UK to be convicted of human trafficking for exploiting children, receiving a sentence of six years and eight months for drugs charges and three and a half years for trafficking children who were used as drug mules.
But now following his release from jail Wabelua claims that he too was groomed as a teenager to enter the drugs
