Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can take many different forms. This ASB Awareness Week, we want to highlight a particularly severe and often hidden type of exploitation known as cuckooing.

What is cuckooing? 

Taking its name from the cuckoo bird which notoriously takes over the nests of other birds, cuckooing is a form of exploitation where criminals take over someone else’s house to use it as a base for illegal activities and facilitating crimes. 

Types of cuckooing

The most common form of cuckooing is taking control of the victim’s home to store, prepare or distribute drugs. However, criminals may also take over a property to: 

• Manage a workforce of drug runners or carry out acts of violence
• Facilitate human trafficking
• Store illegal weapons, firearms or cash 
• Financially abuse the home owner or tenant 
• Use it as a free place to live 

Who might be at risk?

Criminals are selective about who they target. They look for those who are lonely, struggling with their own challenges or those who are unable to protect themselves from being exploited. 

Those at risk often include: 

• Former addicts and people with substance or alcohol dependencies 
• Individuals lacking a safe and stable home environment 
• Those with a history of being in care 
• Those with mental or physical health impairments, learning disabilities or cognitive impairments 
• The elderly or socially isolated 
• Single mothers or those experiencing extreme economic deprivation 

Criminals use a range of tactics to manipulate the victims and gain access to their home. Initially they may befriend the tenant, offering gifts, paying bills or providing free drugs or alcohol. Once trust is formed, the criminal gangs demand a repayment for their favours. Through threats and violence, the victim is forced to hand over control of their property in exchange for clearing their debt. This trap is called debt bondage. 

Spotting the signs 

To surrounding neighbours, a cuckooed property often just looks like anti-social behaviour but knowing the signs can help you identify when a neighbourhood nuisance is actually a hidden cause for concern. 

Indicators include: 

• Unusual activity: An increase in unfamiliar visitors at all hours, unknown vehicles and taxis lingering outside.
• Environmental neglect: Sudden property damage, accumulated waste, discarded drug paraphernalia nearby.
• Suspicious interiors: An unkempt home, absence of basic home valuables, presence of unexplained cash, multiple phones, weighing scales, etc. 
• Changes in the resident: The vulnerable victim may show visible signs of anxiousness, changes to their physical health or avoid answering the door.

How you can help

Recognising the signs and knowing how to report them is crucial in safeguarding vulnerable people and protecting our communities.

If you suspect or know someone that is being cuckooed, please report it immediately:

• In an emergency, always call 999 
• For non-emergencies, call 101 to report suspicious behaviour to the police and mention ‘Operation Trespass’ and ‘cuckooing’ when you call. 
• Report your concerns to us directly by calling 0300 365 1111 or emailing enquiries@ovh.org.uk.