A drugs den was uncovered while police were investigating reports of a house burglary in Sneinton.
Officers attended Radbourne Road, Sneinton, after two people were reportedly seen climbing a ladder to get into a house.
A man and a woman were subsequently found inside, with officers quickly deducing that the empty property was being used as a drugs house.
The aftermath of drug usage and drug paraphernalia were found scattered all over the address, during the police visit at around 4:20 pm on Wednesday (7 June).
It was also suspected the house had been taken over by people that didn’t own it and the actual owners had been forced out against their will – a criminal practice known as ‘cuckooing’.
Police searched the two people found inside the house, as well as a separate property in Sneinton, where drugs and cash were recovered.
A 29-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were both arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs.
Detective Sergeant Rob Palethorpe, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “While this was initially investigated as a burglary, it quickly became apparent to our officers that this wasn’t the case.
“After investigating further, it was quickly established the address was being used as a drugs den, while it may have been taken over against the owner of the property’s will.
“The practice of cuckooing is sadly a tactic those concerned in different forms of criminality, including the supply of drugs, do use, and it is often vulnerable people who are the targets of this.
“We have since arrested two people we suspect could be concerned in the supply of drugs, but our inquiries are still ongoing, so we’d ask anyone who has any information that could assist our investigation contacts us.”
Information can be left with the police by calling 101, quoting incident 532 of 7 June 2023, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where information can be left anonymously.
Cuckooing
Cuckooing is a practice where people take over a person’s home and use the property to facilitate exploitation. It takes its name from cuckoos that take over the nests of other birds.
There are different types of cuckooing:
- Using the property to deal, store or take drugs
- Using the property to sex work
- Taking over the property as a place for them to live
- Taking over the property to financially abuse the tenant
The most common form of cuckooing is where drug dealers take over a person’s home and use it to store or distribute drugs.
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