- Criminal gangs are “cuckooing” vulnerable people’s homes to store and sell drugs — police say it may affect hundreds or thousands of properties each week (London recorded 1,539 incidents in a year).
- Victims report being trapped, abused and forced to live in squalid conditions — from physical violence and blackmail to being confined to a single room.
- The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will make cuckooing a specific offence with up to five years’ jail, but guidance for police is not yet in place; forces are meanwhile using closure orders and other powers.
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