County Lines-Cuckooing Victims

Where would we be without John from Blacon with his security (and other) alerts and useful offerings. This one below is about County Lines and cuckooing victims. What is, or are, County Lines and cuckooing? Read more below and what you need to do if faced with such a situation.

Cheshire Police – County Lines – Cuckooing Victims

Here’s the information John passed on to me.

“They start as friends but end up as bullies.

Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults.

What Is County Lines?

County Lines is a term used to describe organised crime groups (OCG) who use dedicated mobile phone lines to supply class A drugs from a city into rural areas.

This of course applies to numerous rural areas of Chester and Cheshire in general. The organised crime groups exploit children, vulnerable adults and disabled people through coercion, intimidation and violence in order to move and store their drugs and money.

An essential part of the organised crime group’s activity is to have an operating base to supply or deal drugs like crack cocaine and heroin. They will target vulnerable people who may have built up a debt and use threats and violence to force their way into their home and use it as a secure operating base to deal drugs – a term known as ‘cuckooing’.

Signs communities should look out for:

A child or young person going missing from school or home and travelling to market owns or rural areas.

Self-harm or a significant change in emotional wellbeing or their behaviour. The use of drugs and alcohol.

Having more money, new expensive clothes or accessories which they are unable to account for.

Having multiple mobiles, tablets or SIM cars and receiving an excessive amount of texts and calls.

Forming relationships and meeting with controlling or older people or groups.

Carrying weapons.

Significant decline in school results / performance.

Lone children from outside of the area.

More information can be found on the Know and See website. https://knowandsee.co.uk/

County Lines – What Is Cuckooing?

Cuckooing is when someone you don’t know takes over your home and uses it as a place to sell, supply or store drugs.

The signs communities should look out for:

People calling at a local address often at unsociable hours

Suspicious vehicles or people visiting an address

If you have not seen a neighbour for a while

Cuckooing – How Can you help?

To help protect young and vulnerable people in our communities we need the public to be our eyes and ears by understanding the signs of criminal exploitation and to report it to us.

If something doesn’t feel right and you believe criminal activity is taking place in your community come forward by either:

Calling 101

Calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Email general enquiries

If someone’s life is in danger dial 999

What is ‘Cuckooing’? – A Case Example

This example happened in North Wales Police and applies equally in Cheshire Police areas.

A man who said his home was taken over by drug dealers has described his experience as “terrifying”.

The North Wales victim claimed he was “targeted” for ‘cuckooing’ last year. It sees dealers using both physical and emotional threats to establish a base for selling drugs in someone’s home.

The man said that Police need to engage with those who could become targets. North Wales Police said it strived to protect the most vulnerable in its communities.

Cuckooing is often linked to the drug trade known as ‘County Lines‘, the name given to drug dealing networks connecting urban and rural areas across the UK through dedicated mobile phones.

Drug dealers target the vulnerable

Drug gang ‘stabbed me in the face’

‘My son was groomed to sell drugs’

The National Crime Agency said that an estimated 2,000 lines now operate in the UK. In this case, the victim – who wished to remain anonymous – told BBC Wales that a gang of men came to his home one evening last year.

“I don’t know why I opened my door, but I did, and they barged past me, straight into my living room,” he said.

“[There was] a lot of ‘we’ll give you this, we’ll give you that, just let us stay here’, [but] I had no choice in the matter. “I had to go into my bedroom, and I was there for two days.

The only place I was allowed to go was to the toilet. It was terrifying.

“They were in and out constantly – they weren’t selling [drugs] from here, they were meeting people in other places – and they left the front door open. I just went quietly and left.”

County Lines – Rise In Knife Crime

County Lines is seen as a contributing factor in the 25% rise in knife crime across the country between 2017 and 2018, and the new North Wales Police chief constable said that the region is “suffering” from its impact.

High-profile incidents such as the murder of 19-year-old Matthew Cassidy in Flintshire has been linked to county line outfits, and a Wrexham gang was jailed in October 2018.

The man who recounted his cuckooing experience said that he felt he had been deliberately targeted as a former drug user.

“I am very, very vulnerable, and that’s the sort of person they want,” he said. “

[The police] need to work out who are the weak and vulnerable on drugs. [They could] figure out who is who and just go there and ask ‘are you OK’.”

Individuals were arrested in relation to the alleged incident, but ultimately no-one was charged. Responding to the issue, a police spokesman said: “North Wales Police continue to investigate the serious offences known as cuckooing and we will strive to protect those most vulnerable within our communities.” “

Here’s some other interesting links

Liverpool to North Wales: Up close with a county line –

BBC News – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPRO1l_2huM

A look at ‘County Lines‘ drug dealing |

ITV News – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOBl1RmWK7E

Further information on this subject can be found HERE:

As I said above, thanks yet again John. So, take heed where you can and stay vigilant. Also, be aware of neighbours and make sure they are all OK where you can.

There are many other crimewatch type articles for you to be aware of – mainly courtesy of John. Here’s a link to these other extremely useful and informative articles. Have a read, they may save you from a lot of hassle if you aware of them.

You can find the Chester Crimewatch link HERE.