Criminal gangs are taking control of vulnerable people's homes and using them as drug dens

PC Mandy Nutt got lucky. She was out of uniform visiting a vulnerable person when she found four gang members in the living room. It stank of cannabis, and she could see fear and frustration on their faces. Her colleagues, waiting outside, jumped to action. They searched the property, found the drugs, and arrested all of them – including the vulnerable person.

“We have to arrest the tenant if drugs are found on the premises,” Nutt explains. “But when they get into custody, they’re in a safe place and can be moved straight into other accommodation. The place they were in is shut down.”

This vulnerable person was a victim of cuckooing, where criminals take over people’s homes for drug dealing, sex work, human trafficking, or other purposes.

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There is no specific legislation against cuckooing in the UK, and officers rely on other areas of the law to tackle it. In May, the Criminal Justice Bill was amended to include cuckooing, but days later Rishi Sunak called an election and the bill was dropped.

Nutt, who leads on cuckooing for the Metropolitan Police in Camden and Islington, says: “It needs to become legislation. The issue around cuckooing is that there’s so much involved – modern slavery, organised crime, drug supply, violence, sexual exploitation.

“It needs to be about control of the premises rather than control of the person. A person who has been cuckooed will almost never come forward because of fear.”

People who are at risk of cuckooing often have learning disabilities, mental health issues, physical disabilities or are socially isolated. Many suffer with addiction and have experience of homelessness. Criminals pose as friends, and victims often protect them out of fear or misplaced loyalty.

Julie Norman, from charity Women at the Well, supports women who are affected by or at risk of sexual exploitation, including victims of cuckooing. She explains the most common sign of cuckooing is withdrawing. There might also be a new group of friends, gifts or unexplained injuries.

“If they’re withdrawing, we won’t take that as stepping away,” Norman says. “We’re still there, and we might go visit or write a letter asking them to come meet us, and have a coffee in the community. It’s just being able to talk. And it works. Often they will tell us what is happening.’

“A lot of the women say: ‘I’m not a grass. I don’t want to tell the police.’ But they’ve got really good trust with us and they don’t mind if we tell the police for them. They just don’t want to be associated with making that report. They need help along the way to do it.” 

Women at the Well works closely with Camden and Islington police – and this collaborative approach is effective. “It’s about a chain of partner agencies and police and NHS and everyone involved working together. If one of those links breaks, that whole chain collapses,” Nutt says.

Operation Pantera was launched in 2020 to tackle cuckooing in Camden and Islington. They refer victims to support services, educate the public on signs of cuckooing and use high visibility patrols.

Camden officers have shut down 368 premises used for cuckooing and have 31 live investigations ongoing. Islington officers have closed 290 premises, with 48 premises being investigated.

Norman says: “The work in Camden is really taken seriously when it comes to cuckooing. It’d be nice to see other boroughs in London following on to support women.”

There is often a mistrust of police among victims of cuckooing, which Nutt recognises. “Some of our victims of cuckooing haven’t had the best experience with police officers,” the constable admits. 

“It’s important for us to let them know there is criminality involved. We know they’re being forced and we’re here to support them. We’re not here to judge them. We’re not here to prosecute them. We’re here to help them.”

Criminals often target people who have left homeless hostels and have just moved into independent living, exploiting social isolation or addiction by offering free drugs in exchange for using their home.

Lack of supported housing is part of the problem. Norman has worked with victims who have been moved to new accommodation, but without enough support, they risk being targeted again. “They’re still getting threats,” Nutt says. “They’re still being told to go back. In the end, they will go back. We can’t stop them, because they’re the legal tenant. It’s a vicious circle.”

Nutt urges the public to look for the signs of cuckooing: strangers visiting often, increased anti-social behaviour, the neighbour seeming anxious or hiding away, or the suspicion of physical assault. She also stresses the importance of partnerships with charities to build trust and support victims.

Most importantly, Nutt wants legislation on cuckooing. “If it becomes legislation, local authorities will have a duty of care to move someone,” she says, adding that she would like to see a similar approach used by authorities for housing victims of domestic abuse so they are placed somewhere safe.

Victims of cuckooing are often left with long-term emotional trauma and a fear that the criminals may return. “They are bailed to that same address that we’ve literally just kicked the door down and we probably arrested some very high-ranking gang members,” Nutt says. 

“We are trying to raise that awareness so they don’t get bailed back to that address, and we need to work with partner agencies to move them from custody straight into new accommodation. If that was to work, that would be amazing. But we always have a problem with accommodation.”

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