Manchester drug dealer jailed for 11 years after forcing children to deal cocaine
A Manchester drug dealer who forced children to sell drugs and collect money has been jailed for 11 years.
Arron Kenny, of Ashton Old Road, received his sentence at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday following a lengthy investigation into his criminal activities.
The court heard how Kenny used threats of violence to manipulate children into dealing drugs for his operation in the Tameside area.
Kenny was identified as the mastermind behind the ‘Sam N Marco’ or ‘SNM’ drug line.
His criminal enterprise involved the supply, cultivation and transportation of drugs, with children being exploited to perform various tasks.
The vulnerable young victims were forced to hold drugs, manage the drug line mobile phone and collect money from deals.
Through intimidation and threats of violence, Kenny manipulated children into participating in his illegal drug operation, using them as pawns in his criminal network.
The investigation into Kenny’s activities formed part of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Charger, which ran from 2019 to 2021.
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The operation focused specifically on the supply of Class A and B drugs.
Kenny was initially arrested in 2021 but briefly disappeared before being caught again in December of that year.
He was discovered hiding in a city centre flat, where he required a driver to transport him to drug deals due to having two broken legs.
The circumstances surrounding Kenny’s leg injuries were not disclosed by authorities.
Sergeant Matthew Elliot of the Child Criminal Exploitation Team in Tameside condemned Kenny’s actions, said: “Using violence or the fear of violence to get the vulnerable in our communities to do deal their drugs is bad enough, but to use a child is just unforgiveable.”
He expressed hope that the sentencing would help victims move forward, saying: “We are hopeful that this result allows the victims to put the experience behind them and allows them to live as the children they are.”
He added: “We will continue to work to take drugs off our city’s streets and to prevent children from being coerced into doing something they don’t want to do.”