DYFED Powys Police is urging the Mid Wales public to act as their “eyes and ears” as they tackle the crime of ‘cuckooing’, following a reporting of more than 30 cases in the last five months.

Cuckooing is the exploitation of vulnerable people – most often drug users – by criminals who use their homes as a base, gaining access through intimidation of the victim or in exchange for drugs. It is a practice closely linked with county lines operations where organised crime gangs (OCGs) travel to different parts of the country to sell drugs, often using vulnerable youngsters as mules and dealers.

County lines has been a very big issue for the force in recent years, with OCGs from big cities, particularly Liverpool, manipulating children and vulnerable adults into carrying and selling drugs.

Police have relied heavily on the help of the Powys public to bust big county lines cases over the years and the force is again appealing for their help.

“When we first started experiencing county lines issues few years ago, we had a really good public response,” said Dyfed Powys Police Chief Inspector Jacqui Lovatt.

“People phoning in and letting us know what was going on in their area was how we managed to get on top of it. So, it’s a case of refreshing people’s memories and for them to be our eyes and ears.”

Cuckooing involves a drugs runner being sent to a particular area by an OCG with supplies of illegal substances to last a number of days.

Once a runner is identified, contact is made with someone in the area being targeted who will have a list of local drug users and addresses. This middle person will find a property the runner can operate out of while they are in that area.

Since November 2020, there have been 31 recorded cases of cuckooing in the Dyfed Powys area – although it is believed the true number is likely to be higher as there is known to be an element of under-reporting the offence among police forces across the UK.

“Cuckooing is very much on the agenda,” added Chief Inspector Lovatt.

“We want the public to pay a bit more attention to vulnerable people. We all know people in our community who are vulnerable so just check to make sure they’ve got no people you don’t recognise coming and going or strangers who have moved in recently. Anything untoward or suspicious, report it to police, like seeing people you have not seen around before.

“We haven’t had any calls as yet as far as I’m aware, but we just want to heighten people’s awareness.”

The signs of cuckooing:

• Missing appointments, avoiding contact with people in a position of authority, or not allowing access to the premises

• Not staying at their home address – possibly because someone else has taken over

• Suffering injuries

• New friends from out of town

• Increase or sudden change of visitors

• Appearing uncomfortable or intimidated

• Relapsing into drug use

• Increase in antisocial behaviour