Drug dealer exploited 14-year-old boy into selling drugs for him

A 20-year-old drug dealer has been found guilty of exploiting a 14-year-old boy to sell drugs for him, marking one of the first such convictions in Scotland under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act. The case unfolded in Glasgow, where the accused, Matteullah Siddiqi, manipulated a schoolboy into skipping classes and engaging in illegal drug activities over several months. Siddiqi first encountered the teenager at a games arcade in Glasgow last year. During the school summer holidays in 2025, he approached the boy at the St Enoch’s Centre and asked if he wanted to make money. Initially, the boy hesitated, thinking the conversation was about drugs. However, Siddiqi convinced him to join by offering financial support for his mother. The boy was given access to Siddiqi’s Instagram account and later received a mobile phone. The teenager lied to his mother, claiming he was going on a “summer holiday camp.” In mid-July, he was taken to a known drug den in Glasgow, where he was introduced to the process of packaging crack cocaine. Siddiqi visited the location briefly each day, leaving the boy to handle tasks while he stayed away due to an electronic tag. The boy was given £20 daily to purchase food and was instructed to distribute small amounts of cocaine, known as “testers”, to local users. The boy was subsequently moved to a disused property in Paisley, Renfrewshire, where he remained for several days. There, he continued distributing testers and was given the contact details of regular drug users. Prosecutors estimated that Siddiqi earned approximately £700 per day through these activities. Returning home around July 21, the boy appeared unwell, with a foul odor indicating poor hygiene. Despite this, he continued working for Siddiqi, alternating between the drug den and his family home. After the summer break, the boy was sent to Ayr to deliver more testers. His school attendance declined sharply, and he missed classes for 11 consecutive days in September. Teachers grew suspicious and contacted the boy’s mother. At a meeting, the boy claimed he had been playing football alone in a park. However, train tickets to Ayr were discovered on his phone. When asked to leave the room, the boy confessed to delivering “heavy drugs” to a 19-year-old man at a flat in Glasgow’s east end. The boy’s mother was deeply distressed upon learning the truth. The child was referred to the Home Office National Referral Mechanism, and officials determined he had been a victim of exploitation. On September 19, police arrested Siddiqi in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow, where he was holding two phones and appeared nervous. He attempted to flee but was apprehended, resulting in a minor injury to a constable. During the arrest, nearly £3,000 worth of heroin fell out of Siddiqi’s jacket. He later claimed he too had been a victim of exploitation. The court heard that Siddiqi admitted to supplying heroin and cocaine and to aggravating the police officer during the confrontation. A not guilty plea regarding his involvement with another teenage boy was accepted by prosecutors. Siddiqi is set to receive a sentencing next month.