Criminologist and community activist Trina O’Connor has described footage gathered by RTÉ’s Prime Time as deeply concerning, particularly because of the young age of those involved.
She warned that many children and teenagers are being groomed into serious criminal activity by organised criminal networks.
Over a number of weeks, undercover filming carried out by Prime Time captured minors openly selling drugs in several parts of Dublin, including near O’Connell Bridge at the end of the capital’s main thoroughfare, reports RTE.
On weekday afternoons, groups of teenagers travelled around the city on e-scooters before gathering at locations in the inner city where they were filmed openly dealing drugs. The programme observed the use of “spotters” who alerted the group whenever Garda patrols approached.
Prime Time also spoke with young people who had previously been involved in the drugs trade, revealing how criminal gangs recruit children to act as couriers, transporting drugs and cash around the city, reports RTE.
One former participant, identified only as Jonathan, explained that appearances can be deceiving. He said a child carrying a backpack at 9am might appear to be heading to school when, in reality, they could be transporting large quantities of illegal drugs.
Jonathan, who is now in his late teens, said children as young as seven or eight can become involved in criminal activity, carrying drugs, weighing scales and other paraphernalia in their school bags, reports RTE.
Community representatives and politicians say the issue is becoming increasingly visible. Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly said schools in the Drogheda area have raised concerns directly with her regarding children being used in drug operations.
She said some children as young as seven are being used to transport drugs, while others aged nine or ten are being drawn into street-level dealing, reports RTE.
Butterly described the situation as extremely alarming and said criminal gangs are deliberately targeting vulnerable children and families who are already facing significant challenges.
Jonathan explained that he grew up surrounded by drug use and witnessed family members struggling with addiction from an early age, reports RTE.
While he said seeing the consequences of substance abuse made him cautious about taking drugs himself, he admitted that the opportunity to make money was highly attractive when he was young.
According to Jonathan, the promise of quick cash is one of the biggest factors drawing children into the drugs trade. He recalled believing that earning a few hundred euro could buy him a new bike, clothes, restaurant meals and other things that seemed unattainable at the time, reports RTE.
Addiction counsellor Michael Guerin, who has worked in Limerick for two decades, said many young people involved in drug dealing come from areas experiencing social and economic disadvantage, where drug activity has become normalised.
He said some teenagers view drug dealing as an opportunity to earn money that would otherwise be unavailable to them, making it almost a rite of passage in certain communities, reports RTE.
Jonathan explained that recruitment often begins with seemingly harmless tasks. Young children may be asked to deliver a bag to a house or vehicle and receive between €100 and €150 for doing so.
As trust develops, they can progress into more significant roles within the criminal operation and begin building a reputation among those running the network, reports RTE.
He described how children are eventually introduced to locations where drugs are weighed, mixed and packaged for sale. According to him, these activities often take place in ordinary houses, apartments, Airbnb properties and hotel rooms located in affluent areas.
Jonathan said these locations are chosen because they attract less suspicion than properties already associated with criminal activity, reports RTE.
Once drugs have been prepared for distribution, minors are then sent onto the streets to sell them directly to users.
Michael Guerin explained that cocaine can sell for between €50 and €100 per gram depending on quality, while counterfeit benzodiazepines and crack cocaine are also commonly distributed through street-level networks, reports RTE.
He noted that many of the young people seen travelling on e-scooters are not delivering cocaine but are instead transporting crack cocaine and counterfeit prescription drugs to established users.
According to Guerin, the rise of e-scooters has transformed the drug trade because they allow dealers to travel quickly and evade traditional Garda patrol methods, reports RTE.
He said dealers frequently operate in small groups, with only one individual carrying the drugs. If Gardaí intervene, the group can split up, reducing the chances of successful detection and prosecution.
Throughout the period of Prime Time’s investigation, Gardaí maintained a visible presence on Dublin’s streets and continued patrol operations in affected areas, reports RTE.
In a statement issued to the programme, An Garda Síochána said a high-visibility policing strategy had been introduced in Dublin city centre in March 2025.
Data collected up to March 2026 showed an average of 18 arrests per day under the operation, resulting in almost 6,500 arrests overall, reports RTE.
The force also reported that an average of 35 charges or summonses were issued daily, amounting to around 13,500 in total over the period.
Gardaí further stated that proactive drug-related detections had increased, with simple possession offences rising by 16 per cent and offences involving obstruction under the Misuse of Drugs Act increasing by 27 per cent, reports RTE.
After reviewing footage gathered during the investigation, Trina O’Connor described what she saw as open-air drug markets operating in public spaces.
She said there appeared to be a clear division of labour among those involved, with some acting as lookouts, others holding drugs or cash, and others carrying out direct sales, reports RTE.
O’Connor said she was particularly disturbed by how young some of the individuals appeared to be, describing one person in the footage as having a “baby face”.
She said it was extremely troubling to witness someone so young openly dealing drugs in a public area without apparent fear, reports RTE.
Paula Butterly said she was shocked when she first learned that children as young as seven were being used as drug couriers while others only slightly older were actively involved in selling drugs.
She insisted that responsibility lies entirely with the criminals who deliberately target and exploit children, damaging their futures and exposing them to dangerous lifestyles, reports RTE.
Guerin warned that gangs see young people as disposable assets who can easily be replaced if they are arrested or identified by authorities.
He said the hierarchy within criminal organisations is so complex that those operating at street level are viewed merely as expendable foot soldiers, reports RTE.
Reflecting on his own experiences, Jonathan acknowledged that some young people become involved in drug dealing because they are trying to support themselves or family members in difficult circumstances.
However, he maintained that, despite the pressures involved, people ultimately make their own choices and he understands why many members of the public have little sympathy for drug dealers, reports RTE.
There have been growing calls for renewed efforts to combat organised crime following praise for the work of the Drogheda Implementation Board, which operated between 2021 and 2024 after a violent drugs feud claimed four lives in the town.
Paula Butterly said criminal gangs constantly adapt their methods and that authorities must continue investing in community supports and intervention programmes if they hope to stay ahead of evolving drug networks, reports RTE.
Trina O’Connor stressed that involvement in crime is not inevitable and that effective mental health supports, addiction services and community policing can help break the cycle of criminality.
Jonathan said the death of a close friend and meeting his girlfriend were the two major factors that convinced him to leave drug dealing behind and start a different life, reports RTE.
Now looking back on that period from a distance, he said he feels fortunate to have escaped the lifestyle and believes he has been given a second chance.
He said he now lives life on his own terms and considers himself extremely lucky compared with many others who never managed to get out, reports RTE.
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