PRC-UTE
10th November 2004, 00:21
North Belfast Teach na Fáilte Uncover Teenage Drug Ring in Ardoyne.
North Belfast Teach na Fáilte have this week uncovered the sick truth surrounding the drug trade that is plaguing our areas.
Illicit drug barons who operate from the luxury of their North Belfast homes have been swamping the area with tens of thousands of pounds of narcotics a week – which is being directed at our youth.
This revelation came to light when a concerned parent of a 14 year old was directed to the Teach na Fáilte offices in Ardoyne so that they could benefit from the confidential Grass Root’s Justice Initiative which operates there.
Teach na Fáilte voluntary workers for the area, Charlie Clarke and Paul Carson said that no one could have been prepared for what was unearthed.
“This all started last week when a concerned mother and father approached the case workers of Grass Root’s Justice. The distraught couple had come to the offices for help and direction to help them ascertain whether or not their 14-year-old son had been dealing drugs in the area.
“The parents of this young lad had become suspicious when they noticed remarkable changes in his attitude and behaviour” said Mr. Clarke.
“Money, jewellery and electrical objects started to go missing, minimal at first, but then progressed into a weekly and then daily occurrence. This was accompanied with a change in his social activities. The parents, who cannot be named due to the confidentiality of Grass Root’s Justice, claimed they were at their ‘wit’s end’ with the catalogue of events that had prompted them to come forward to seek help.”
After listening intently to the parent’s fears, Paul Carson stated,
“It was when we heard everything that the mother and father were describing to us it became quite clear that there was some truth in the case. We agreed to help and arranged to speak with the child in the presence of his parents, at our offices.
“After meeting the young lad, around the same age as my own children, it was evident that he was hiding something. “ Paul went on to add,
“Eventually he came clean and told the truth about his actions. This child had been smoking cannabis from the age of 12 and had been supplied on ‘strap’ to satisfy his addiction. After running up a bill of £350 or so, he was approached by this drug baron who originally hails from the Carrickhill area of Belfast, when he began to be threatened with physical violence and the possibility of hospitalisation.
The teenager was then told that he would have to get the money by whatever means he could.”
“The youngster then began to pilfer whatever he could lay his hands on, mostly around the house at first and from family and friends who would leave things lying around unsuspecting” stated Charlie Clarke. He went on to add,
“It was when this wasn’t enough that he was ‘teamed up’ with another lad, 15, so that they would carry out ‘sleepers’ which are robberies conducted in houses at night when the owner lies asleep in bed.
“All the proceeds of these robberies was handed back to the gang lord in order to pay off this debt.
“Eventually when this couldn’t subsidise the still growing bill, they were directed to the ‘big house’ were they would be given their stash of drugs. They were recruited as dealers and were told to specifically target their friends and family.
“The extent that these leeches will go to is frightening. Luring children unsuspectingly into this sordid world is diabolical and I fear we have hit a new low. These children, and I am concerned that we have only just scratched the surface, are forced to break into houses alongside having to deal drugs so that they can keep this scum in the lavish lifestyles that they are accustomed to.
Their children live sheltered lives away from the dangers of this illicit trade while ours have to run the gauntlet of drugs, threat from paramilitaries, jail and even death. This cannot be allowed to continue. I ask the apologists for criminality what do they have to say about this?”
Unearthed from a garden in part of Ardoyne by Teach na Fáilte voluntary case workers was a staggering £3,500 - £4,000 cache of drugs, hidden in a paint tin and accompanied with an arsenal of weapons consisting of knives and hammers.
The weapons were for protection whilst carrying out the ‘sleepers’ in case their plundering downstairs disturbed the owner, and they risked being caught.
Concealed in the tin were ‘nine bars’ worth in the region of £3,000; two bags of cocaine; numerous bags of anti-depressants, blood pressure tablets and high strength painkillers. There was also a lethal concoction of powder called ‘snowball’, which is slipped into certain alcoholic drinks. This substance has been blamed for the death of a young teenage girl from the Shankill Road last week.
This thingytail of drugs was distributed within Ardoyne to children as young as 12 right through to adults who would call and pick these children up at pre-arranged places within the area. These teenage dealers were instructed to ‘strap’ drugs to younger children who couldn’t afford to pay up front for their orders.
The result, according to North Belfast Teach na Fáilte coordinator, Charlie Clarke is a concoction of death and destruction which is being dished out to children as young as 12 across the Ardoyne area.
“This is extremely worrying. I think the most worrying aspect is that the drugs we uncovered were to be sold in one week! That was just one week’s worth of debt to them. It’s incredible.
“The evidence of weapons as well is worrying, as is the fact that these teenagers are selling these pills to even younger children. If a child took an assortment of these pills, I would have no reason to doubt that this could result in the death or overdosing of that child.”
Mr. Clarke and Mr. Carson concluded,
“We in Teach na Fáilte would like to appeal to parents and children to please come forward to us if they know anything about this horrifying drug ring that is preying on our children. We would appeal to the wider community that if you suspect this is happening near you or to someone you know, then please do not wait until it is too late.
“Teach na Fáilte can be contacted in complete confidentiality and with the guarantee of anonymity.
We operate the Grass Root’s Justice programme, which will help you with your problem. This can be dealt with in any of our offices throughout the country, were our caseworkers can be contacted.”
Grass Root’s Justice can be contacted at any of the Teach na Fáilte offices by calling in or by phoning for a appointment.
All cases and discussions are completely confidential.
Teach na Fáilte
Costello House
392a Falls Road
Belfast
Tel: 028 9023 8321
Teach na Fáilte
Unit 8
Flax Centre
Ardoyne Avenue
Belfast
Tel: 028 9075 1705
North Belfast Teach na Fáilte have this week uncovered the sick truth surrounding the drug trade that is plaguing our areas.
Illicit drug barons who operate from the luxury of their North Belfast homes have been swamping the area with tens of thousands of pounds of narcotics a week – which is being directed at our youth.
This revelation came to light when a concerned parent of a 14 year old was directed to the Teach na Fáilte offices in Ardoyne so that they could benefit from the confidential Grass Root’s Justice Initiative which operates there.
Teach na Fáilte voluntary workers for the area, Charlie Clarke and Paul Carson said that no one could have been prepared for what was unearthed.
“This all started last week when a concerned mother and father approached the case workers of Grass Root’s Justice. The distraught couple had come to the offices for help and direction to help them ascertain whether or not their 14-year-old son had been dealing drugs in the area.
“The parents of this young lad had become suspicious when they noticed remarkable changes in his attitude and behaviour” said Mr. Clarke.
“Money, jewellery and electrical objects started to go missing, minimal at first, but then progressed into a weekly and then daily occurrence. This was accompanied with a change in his social activities. The parents, who cannot be named due to the confidentiality of Grass Root’s Justice, claimed they were at their ‘wit’s end’ with the catalogue of events that had prompted them to come forward to seek help.”
After listening intently to the parent’s fears, Paul Carson stated,
“It was when we heard everything that the mother and father were describing to us it became quite clear that there was some truth in the case. We agreed to help and arranged to speak with the child in the presence of his parents, at our offices.
“After meeting the young lad, around the same age as my own children, it was evident that he was hiding something. “ Paul went on to add,
“Eventually he came clean and told the truth about his actions. This child had been smoking cannabis from the age of 12 and had been supplied on ‘strap’ to satisfy his addiction. After running up a bill of £350 or so, he was approached by this drug baron who originally hails from the Carrickhill area of Belfast, when he began to be threatened with physical violence and the possibility of hospitalisation.
The teenager was then told that he would have to get the money by whatever means he could.”
“The youngster then began to pilfer whatever he could lay his hands on, mostly around the house at first and from family and friends who would leave things lying around unsuspecting” stated Charlie Clarke. He went on to add,
“It was when this wasn’t enough that he was ‘teamed up’ with another lad, 15, so that they would carry out ‘sleepers’ which are robberies conducted in houses at night when the owner lies asleep in bed.
“All the proceeds of these robberies was handed back to the gang lord in order to pay off this debt.
“Eventually when this couldn’t subsidise the still growing bill, they were directed to the ‘big house’ were they would be given their stash of drugs. They were recruited as dealers and were told to specifically target their friends and family.
“The extent that these leeches will go to is frightening. Luring children unsuspectingly into this sordid world is diabolical and I fear we have hit a new low. These children, and I am concerned that we have only just scratched the surface, are forced to break into houses alongside having to deal drugs so that they can keep this scum in the lavish lifestyles that they are accustomed to.
Their children live sheltered lives away from the dangers of this illicit trade while ours have to run the gauntlet of drugs, threat from paramilitaries, jail and even death. This cannot be allowed to continue. I ask the apologists for criminality what do they have to say about this?”
Unearthed from a garden in part of Ardoyne by Teach na Fáilte voluntary case workers was a staggering £3,500 - £4,000 cache of drugs, hidden in a paint tin and accompanied with an arsenal of weapons consisting of knives and hammers.
The weapons were for protection whilst carrying out the ‘sleepers’ in case their plundering downstairs disturbed the owner, and they risked being caught.
Concealed in the tin were ‘nine bars’ worth in the region of £3,000; two bags of cocaine; numerous bags of anti-depressants, blood pressure tablets and high strength painkillers. There was also a lethal concoction of powder called ‘snowball’, which is slipped into certain alcoholic drinks. This substance has been blamed for the death of a young teenage girl from the Shankill Road last week.
This thingytail of drugs was distributed within Ardoyne to children as young as 12 right through to adults who would call and pick these children up at pre-arranged places within the area. These teenage dealers were instructed to ‘strap’ drugs to younger children who couldn’t afford to pay up front for their orders.
The result, according to North Belfast Teach na Fáilte coordinator, Charlie Clarke is a concoction of death and destruction which is being dished out to children as young as 12 across the Ardoyne area.
“This is extremely worrying. I think the most worrying aspect is that the drugs we uncovered were to be sold in one week! That was just one week’s worth of debt to them. It’s incredible.
“The evidence of weapons as well is worrying, as is the fact that these teenagers are selling these pills to even younger children. If a child took an assortment of these pills, I would have no reason to doubt that this could result in the death or overdosing of that child.”
Mr. Clarke and Mr. Carson concluded,
“We in Teach na Fáilte would like to appeal to parents and children to please come forward to us if they know anything about this horrifying drug ring that is preying on our children. We would appeal to the wider community that if you suspect this is happening near you or to someone you know, then please do not wait until it is too late.
“Teach na Fáilte can be contacted in complete confidentiality and with the guarantee of anonymity.
We operate the Grass Root’s Justice programme, which will help you with your problem. This can be dealt with in any of our offices throughout the country, were our caseworkers can be contacted.”
Grass Root’s Justice can be contacted at any of the Teach na Fáilte offices by calling in or by phoning for a appointment.
All cases and discussions are completely confidential.
Teach na Fáilte
Costello House
392a Falls Road
Belfast
Tel: 028 9023 8321
Teach na Fáilte
Unit 8
Flax Centre
Ardoyne Avenue
Belfast
Tel: 028 9075 1705