Teen charged over claim he trafficked boys to deal drugs in Coventry
The 19-year-old has been remanded in custody
Police have charged a man with drugs supply and child exploitation after it’s alleged he lured two boys from Liverpool to deal for him in Coventry.
Irakli Balatayev was arrested during a dawn raid at his home in The Moorfield, Coventry on Friday (11 Feb).
It’s part of a joint operation involving West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police and Warwickshire Police into a County Line they believe is supplying drugs from Coventry across the city and into Warwickshire.
Balatayev was charged with two counts of facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation and possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply.
The 19-year-old appeared in Coventry Magistrates Court on Saturday and was remanded into prison ahead of his next court appearance on 17 March.
As part of the investigation we also carried out a simultaneous raid at an address in Leamington Spa which was allegedly being used as a ‘trap house’ from which the boys were being forced deal drugs on the streets.
A man was arrested from the property and has been released under investigation while joint investigations continue.
The two boys, both aged 15, have been safeguarded and work is ongoing with their families to offer them support.