Police urge public to help tackle drug crime

Police say vulnerable people are being targeted by drug gangs

Police in an area of Cornwall have asked the public to help officers tackle drug crime.

Officers in Bodmin said people in the area can help identify possible victims of cuckooing, a practise where criminals take over a person's house and exploit them.

Insp Adam Stonehill from Devon and Cornwall Police said the most common form of cuckooing is when drug dealers or gang members take over someone's home and use it to store or distribute drugs.

He said criminals target vulnerable people and usually begin befriending and then manipulating them.

'Temptation'

He said: "They build rapport quickly so the victim feels they can trust the perpetrator.

“We know that cuckooing does happen in the Bodmin area and often the victims of these crimes are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities."

Mr Stonehill said drug dealers may offer the victim something to tempt them, which could be a relationship, friendship or drugs and in exchange they may ask to borrow a room.

The force said signs to look out for include an increase in people entering and leaving a property, frequent visitors at unsociable hours and changes in a person's daily routine.

Police have urged anyone who has witnessed anything that "doesn't look or feel right" to contact them.