A Muslim rape gang in England was allowed to roam city streets and abuse young girls because police officers were told to “find other ethnicities” to investigate, according to a detective who spoke to the Telegraph of London.

The paper noted that at least 57 young girls are thought to have been exploited by a network of some 100 suspected perpetrators based in south Manchester in the 2000s.

The gang, mainly of Muslim immigrants, hooked victims on drugs and sexually abused them. A 15-year-old girl died after a 50-year-old man injected her with heroin.

A report of a two-year investigation commissioned by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham concluded vulnerable girls in care were groomed and abused in “plain sight.”

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The government report found fears over race relations played a role in how police handled the Muslim gangs, referred to by British government and media as “Asian grooming gangs.”

Officers were aware of “many sensitive community issues” concerning policing in south Manchester in 2002 and 2003, the report said.