Dealer Jailed for Exploiting Schoolboy to Sell Drugs in Glasgow 2026

Key Points

• Matteullah Siddiqi, 20, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow to six years and nine months in prison, followed by two years of post-release supervision.
• The case is one of Scotland’s first convictions under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act involving the exploitation of a child to distribute Class A drugs for financial gain.
• Siddiqi targeted a 14-year-old schoolboy he met at a games arcade in Glasgow’s St Enoch Square during the 2025 summer holidays.
• The child was forced to miss school, stay in unsanitary drug dens in Paisley and Glasgow, and distribute crack cocaine and heroin “testers”.
• The operation came to light after teachers raised concerns about the child’s absence from school, leading to his disclosure.
• Siddiqi’s defence counsel said he had previously been a victim of criminal gang trafficking himself.
• Siddiqi also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine and to an aggravated assault on a police officer.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) August 27, 2026 — In a landmark ruling at the High Court in Glasgow on February 26, 2026, a 20-year-old man was sentenced to almost seven years in custody after becoming one of the first individuals in Scotland to be convicted of exploiting a child under human trafficking legislation to run Class A narcotics across the West of Scotland.

How Was a 14-Year-Old Schoolboy Recruited into a Regional Drug Trafficking Operation?

The court heard that Matteullah Siddiqi, 20, targeted the 14-year-old victim during the school summer holidays in 2025. The initial contact occurred at a video games arcade located in Glasgow’s St Enoch Square, where Siddiqi approached the youngster and enquired whether he “wanted to start making money.”

Although the child initially declined the proposition after suspecting involvement in illicit substances, Siddiqi subsequently persuaded him by highlighting the financial returns, framing the arrangement as an opportunity to earn money to support his mother. Siddiqi provided the child with his Instagram details and later furnished him with a mobile handset to facilitate communication.

Following an instruction via message, the teenager concealed the reality from his mother by claiming he was attending a summer holiday camp. In mid-July 2025, the boy was taken to a property in Glasgow, where he remained for multiple days and was instructed in the process of packaging crack cocaine. Siddiqi, who was subject to an electronic tag curfew at the time, attended the premises for approximately two hours each day, leaving the child with £20 daily for sustenance.

What Conditions Did the Child Face in Paisley and Glasgow Drug Dens?

The victim was subsequently transported via taxi to an unsanitary, rubbish-strewn flat in uk/local/paisley/">Paisley. The teenager was instructed to distribute “testers”—small sample packages of cocaine—to local drug consumers. Over the course of a week at the Paisley address, the child handed out approximately sixty sample packets and accumulated a corresponding number of contact numbers for local users.

During this period, the child estimated that Siddiqi generated approximately £700 daily through drug sales. When the teenager returned home around 21 July 2025, his mother observed that he smelled unwashed, having been unable to access basic hygiene facilities for days. Despite returning home, the child continued to be drawn into the enterprise, dividing his time between the Paisley property and his family address.

Following the commencement of the new academic term, the child was directed to travel to Ayr to distribute further samples. Between 1 September and 12 September 2025, the child recorded zero attendance at school, prompting education personnel to contact his mother.

How Did Educators and Authorities Uncover the Exploitation?

During a formal meeting convened by school personnel and the boy’s mother, the child initially offered an alternative explanation, claiming his absence was due to playing football alone in a local park. However, evidence of train tickets for journeys to Ayr was identified on his mobile phone.

The boy subsequently requested that his mother briefly leave the room before disclosing to educators that he had been delivering Class A substances on behalf of an older male based in Glasgow’s east end. The mother was described as distraught upon learning the details of the arrangement.

Following the disclosure, the child was formally referred to the Home Office National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the framework established to identify and support victims of human trafficking. The NRM investigation formally concluded that the teenager had been a victim of criminal exploitation.

On 19 September 2025, police officers spotted Siddiqi in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow holding two mobile phones. When officers approached, Siddiqi attempted to flee on foot. During the ensuing struggle, an acting police constable sustained shoulder ligament damage. Officers recovered nearly £3,000 worth of heroin that fell from Siddiqi’s jacket during his apprehension.

What Were the Specific Charges and Statements Given in Court?

Siddiqi pleaded guilty to a charge under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, alongside charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine, and the aggravated assault of a police constable. A guilty plea to exploiting a second teenage boy was accepted as not guilty by the Crown.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Scott sentenced Siddiqi to six years and nine months in custody, with an additional two-year extension period of supervision upon release. At the time of the offences, Siddiqi was subject to five separate bail orders.

During sentencing, Lord Scott referred directly to the victim impact statement provided by the teenager:

“I have seen the impact statement completed by your victim. He describes what happened as mentally traumatic for him and distressing for his family. He said: ‘I feel betrayed by an adult who I trusted, but who lured me into trouble’. What you did has damaged his confidence and his ability to trust and feel free. Commendably, he ends his statement by hoping lessons are learned to help protect children like him and, previously, like you from such exploitation.”

Defence advocate Callum Hiller told the court that Siddiqi had himself previously been identified via the National Referral Mechanism as a victim of child exploitation and trafficking by an organized criminal gang. Hiller noted that Siddiqi had transitioned from victim to perpetrator, stating that his client expressed deep remorse for his actions.

Siddiqi was previously tried in December 2025 in connection with the culpable homicide of a former housing association chairman in Glasgow’s southside, where jurors returned a verdict of not proven, while a co-accused was convicted and sentenced to six-and-a-half years. Siddiqi’s background also featured in a BBC Scotland Disclosure documentary investigating local crime and anti-social behaviour.

Background of the Exploitation Legislation and Child Criminal Exploitation in Scotland

The conviction of Matteullah Siddiqi under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 marks a significant legal precedent in Scottish jurisprudence regarding Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE). Historically, human trafficking legislation was primarily applied to cases involving international modern slavery, forced labour, or sexual exploitation.

Child Criminal Exploitation, often linked to “county lines” drug networks, involves criminal groups using coercion, manipulation, financial inducement, or intimidation to force children to transport, store, or distribute illicit substances. In Scotland, legal frameworks have increasingly adapted to treat exploited minors as victims requiring protection rather than criminal offenders. The inclusion of CCE under human trafficking statutes allows prosecutors to hold line managers and recruiters accountable for the systemic abuse and control exerted over minors, reflecting a shift toward addressing the structural mechanics of drug distribution networks.

Prediction: How This Development Will Affect Scottish Law Enforcement, Educational Systems, and Local Communities

This landmark sentencing is anticipated to influence several operational areas across Scotland:

• Legal and Prosecutorial Strategy: Crown Office prosecutors are likely to increasingly utilise the Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act against individuals involved in county lines networks. By establishing that coercing a minor to deal drugs meets the threshold of human trafficking, law enforcement gains additional statutory tools, resulting in longer custodial sentences and post-release supervision orders for perpetrators.
• Educational and Child Protection Protocols: The crucial role played by school staff in identifying unexplained absences and train ticketing data will likely reinforce multi-agency safeguarding procedures. Schools across the West of Scotland may update attendance monitoring protocols to ensure rapid intervention when pupils demonstrate sudden drop-offs in attendance during post-holiday periods.
• Impact on Vulnerable Youth and High-Risk Areas: Increased legal focus on CCE provides stronger formal protections for young people who are targeted in public spaces such as transport hubs and amusement arcades. By ensuring victims referred to the National Referral Mechanism are diverted away from criminal prosecution, authorities aim to encourage earlier disclosures from exploited children without the fear of immediate penal prosecution.