'Frustrated aspiration' leading young people into drug trafficking

Gary Roberts said many of those drawn into drug trafficking were vulnerable

Some young people see drug trafficking "as the only way they potentially can get the shiny things that they want", the Isle of Man's chief constable said.

Gary Roberts said the "most alarming thing" in youth offending was the rise in teenagers being drawn into drug importation and money laundering.

Last year there were 22 arrests for those offences on the Isle of Man, compared with only one in 2011.

Mr Roberts pledged to work with schools and parents to tackle the problem.

Giving evidence on youth justice to Tynwald's Constitutional and Legal Affairs and Justice Committee, he said people wanting unattainable things was "at the heart of a lot of offending".

'Significant issue'

Mr Roberts explained: "Young people want things they're never going to get, and they see drugs as the only way that they potentially can get the shiny things that they want... that sense of frustrated aspiration leads them to offend."

He said many young offenders had "underperformed educationally" and spent a lot of time out of the school system, a situation potentially heightened by the pandemic since some young people now "believe that school is optional".

Some of them were consequently being exploited by organised crime gangs both on and off the island, Mr Roberts added.

He told the committee the constabulary planned to run a conference in June involving the force's partners and Merseyside officers.

"It's a matter of joining things up and sharing information, and having professionals who understand the signs of county lines, but also having parents who understand it as well," he said.

"Unless we deal with it properly, and swiftly it will become a significant issue on the island."

Police are also putting together support packages for the island's head teachers, designed to help them identify teenagers who are vulnerable to various forms of exploitation.