'Exploited and coerced' boy rescued in drug gang raids

Police made six arrests after safeguarding concerns were identified in Rochdale

A boy who was being "coerced into drug dealing" has been rescued by police during raids targeting child exploitation.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the teenager was taken to safety after it executed eight warrants in Rochdale earlier.

The force said six men, aged 18 to 26, were arrested on suspicion to supply class A and B drugs and modern slavery offences and £30,000 in cash was seized.

Sgt Mark Lutkevitch said the operation was "part of a longstanding investigation into several organised crime groups" in the town.

A GMP representative said along with the boy, the raids had found "further victims", including "a vulnerable adult whose house was being cuckooed and used as a stash house for a gang".

They said the operation came after safeguarding concerns were identified by GMP's Rochdale organised crime team.

Police executed eight warrants at addresses across Rochdale

Sgt Lutkevitch said local communities were "key in helping us be one step ahead of the criminals".

He said people should "trust their instinct".

"If something doesn’t feel right; report it.

"If you think somebody is being exploited, or you think a house might have been taken over by drug dealers, feed that information to us."

He added that "exploitation, coercion, and violence" were the foundations of modern slavery and drugs trafficking and gangs would "often exploit the vulnerable to further their profits".

"Our arrests are part of a longstanding investigation into several organised crime groups operating across Rochdale that we strongly believe are involved in the exploitation of young people," he said.