Children as young as 12 have been caught dealing drugs in Northern Ireland in the last five years.

New statistics show that 112 children aged 16 and under have been cautioned, arrested or charged by the PSNI for supplying drugs in Northern Ireland over the five-year period between April 2003 and March 2008.

A 12-year-old boy was the youngest person to be cautioned for the offence – the drug seized from him was amphetamine.

The figures, revealed by the PSNI under freedom of information legislation, show that 100 of those caught were male, while 12 girls were found carrying out the crime – the youngest girl arrested was only 14, caught with cannabis and ecstasy.

Most youngsters were caught with drugs including ecstasy, amphetamine, cannabis and tranquillisers, while a 15-year old boy was arrested after being caught with heroin and cocaine. However, the figures do not reveal which specific drugs were dealt with by the PSNI under a “supply” offence – some seized may have been for possession only.

Jim Weir, intervention team leader for FASA (Forum for Action on Substance Abuse), an organisation that helps young people with drug problems, said under-16s have come to them in the past and admitted dealing drugs “and often they are damaged people”.

Mr Weir said that while FASA does not condone the crime, many of the young people who have admitted dealing drugs are doing it to “feed their own habit” rather than to make profit. And he said that often a youngster would commit the offence of “dealing” drugs “unwittingly” if they buy too much for themselves, or if they buy drugs for a group of friends who have pooled money together to buy a larger amount between them.

A PSNI spokeswoman said the service has a “robust” approach to the issue.

“It is based on the premise that whilst many young people make mistakes during their early life, the vast majority, if correctly identified and dealt with appropriately, move on to make a valuable and positive contribution to society.”

She said that while a particular young person may be cautioned, charged or reported for prosecution, it is only one aspect of a multi-agency approach, which also includes trying to access the right help and support for that young person to change their behaviour.

“The wider issue of drug abuse in society and the reasons for that abuse is not simply an issue for police alone. It must involve society itself, in the form of other agencies, social groups and communities,” the spokeswoman added.

Cannabis is still one of the main drugs of choice in Northern Ireland. Seizures of it increased by around 16% in the past year, according to police statistics.

The PSNI's hi-tech helicopter has been successfully used to spot cannabis factories. A number have been discovered by the helicopter's heat seeking device.

Other drugs that are becoming available in the province include cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.

Chief Constable Hugh Orde recently revealed however that in the last financial year police disrupted and brought down more drug gangs than in the previous 12 months.