Police find £45,000 of cannabis after cuckooing tip-off in Weymouth

Criminals "cuckoo" by using a vulnerable person's home as their base for dealing drugs

Cannabis plants with an estimated value of £45,000 have been found in a police raid on a house where its residents were suspected of being "cuckooed".

After forcing entry to the property in Norfolk Road, Weymouth, on Sunday, officers made the discovery in two of the upstairs bedrooms.

Cuckooing sees drug dealers using threats to establish a base for selling drugs in someone's home.

A male and a female were arrested and later released pending more inquiries.

"Cuckooing" is often linked to "county lines" drugs gangs where networks connect urban and rural areas through dedicated mobile phones

Officers said concerns had been raised the address was being used as a base to "store and sell controlled substances".

After obtaining further information at the scene, officers from Weymouth Neighbourhood Policing Team entered the address and found the plants.

Organised criminal groups can use violence and intimidation to convince vulnerable people to let their home be used for dealing drugs, according to Dorset Police.

The investigation is ongoing.

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