The Story INVESTIGATION: On the line - Mike
Mar 24, 2026
A former teenage dealer recounts being lured into county lines trafficking and locked in a trap house. He describes travel across towns to move drugs, the money and status that kept him hooked, and the violence that followed. He explains how intervention, a stabbing and reflection made him see the exploitation. He offers warnings for parents and young people at risk.
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First Job Turned Trap House
- Mike was first recruited at 15–16 by a man who promised £300–£400 for simple errands and then put him in a filthy house to hand out wrapped Class A 'rocks'.
- He stayed three to four days with only £10–£15 a day for food, returned close to £1,000 and felt pride buying weed and clothes with his first haul.
Money and Status Mask Exploitation
- Mike didn't recognise exploitation while in it because the immediate cash and status blinded him to risk and power imbalances.
- He describes feeling 'prideful' walking through central London with money he hadn't had before, which fed a sense of adulthood and acceptance of danger.
Sent Around The Country To Deal
- After moving to the Midlands, Mike was sent to multiple towns like Middlewich, Cardiff and Telford carrying large quantities of Class A across the rail network.
- He avoided 'banking' (hiding drugs internally) and instead concealed packages around his crotch, admitting long trips made him 'very, very, very nervous'.