Devon & Cornwall Police News site

“Having the eyes and ears of the public on the streets is a really effective way for us to tackle drug crime in our community and behind closed doors,” says Police Inspector Dom Nicholls.

Police officers in Plymouth are appealing to local people to help identify possible victims of cuckooing, so they can put safeguarding measures in place for victims and put offenders behind bars.

Cuckooing is a practice where criminals take over a person’s home and use the property for exploitation purposes. It takes its name from cuckoos who take over the nests of other birds.

Whilst cuckooing can be disguised in many forms, the most common is where drug dealers or gang members take over a person’s home and use it to store or distribute drugs. They target vulnerable people and most often begin by befriending them; they will use coercive tactics to manipulate a victim, quickly building rapport so the victim feels they can trust the perpetrator.

The drug dealer will then offer the victim something of interest to them; this could be a relationship, friendship, drugs, alcohol, money or clothing. In exchange they may ask to ‘borrow’ a room, to store something or meet other ‘friends’ at the property. Gradually the benefits will reduce and may eventually come to an end, and more and more people will come and go from the address.

The criminal may threaten the vulnerable person verbally or physically if they try to put a stop to their criminal activity. They will often isolate the victim by discouraging family, friends or support workers from visiting the persons address and will often use threats to control their victim. 

Criminals often target the most vulnerable in society, including individuals who experience mental health difficulties or substance misuse, are socially isolated, or who have a learning or physical disability, or illness.

Inspector Dom Nicholls said: “Whilst numbers remain low, unfortunately we know that cuckooing does happens across our communities and often the victims of these crimes are some of the most vulnerable people in our neighbourhoods. A big part of how we’ll achieve our aim to protect people from cuckooing and bring offenders to justice is by educating the public on the signs to look out for when it comes to cuckooing. Having the eyes and ears of the public on the streets is a really effective way for us to tackle drug crime in our community. If you see something that doesn’t look or feel right, you see a crime taking place, or you have some information which might help in our investigations, please do come forward.

"Our officers are working closely with partner agencies including the local council, to identify and support victims of cuckooing, which is proving successful; however, we still need the support of our local communities to help us identify other possible victims of cuckooing which we may not know about.”

There are several signs to look out for that may indicate someone is a victim of cuckooing:

• An increase in people entering and leaving the property, especially at strange times
• Frequent visitors at unsociable hours
• Changes in a person’s daily routine
• Unusual smells coming from a property
• Suspicious, or unfamiliar vehicles outside an address
• You haven't seen the person who lives there recently, or when you have, they have been anxious or distracted

If you’re concerned about drug-related crime in your area or you think someone may be a victim of drug exploitation, please call us on 101. If it's an emergency, please call 999.

Information can also be passed completely anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers, just call 0800 555111, or via their website.

If you're in danger but you can't talk on the phone, you should still call 999, then follow these instructions depending on whether you're calling from a mobile or a landline.

For more information about cuckooing and county lines, which is the name given to drug dealing where OCGs use phone lines to move and supply drugs usually from cities into smaller towns, visit our website.