Modern slavery

Human trafficking is the movement of people by means such as force, fraud, coercion or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. It is a form of modern slavery.

Human trafficking is a crime. It does not always involve international transportation. Trafficking in the UK includes commercial, sexual and bonded labour. Trafficked people have little choice in what happens to them and often suffer abuse due to violence and threats made against them or their families. In effect, they become commodities owned by traffickers, used for profit.

These three elements all form part of trafficking:

• the act: recruiting, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
• the means: force, fraud, coercion, deception
• the purpose: exploitation

A quarter of all victims found in the UK last year were British.

Indicators of Modern Slavery can include:

• appears malnourished or unkempt; for example, they wear the same clothes every day
• seems withdrawn, avoids eye contact or appears hesitant or frightened of others
• is isolated, rarely being allowed on their own or seemingly being under the control and influence of others
• has few, or no, personal possessions
• lacks identification documents
• lives in poor conditions, such as dirty, cramped, or overcrowded places
• fears law enforcement officers
• shows signs of physical and psychological abuse

Cuckooing

Cuckooing is a term used when criminals target the home of an adult at risk of harm, often so they can use or take over the property for criminal purposes such as drug-dealing, hiding weapons and other criminal activities. The term comes from the behaviour of cuckoos, birds who take over the nests of other birds for their young.

The criminals who exploit the victims of cuckooing are usually selective about who they target as victims, and can often be entrepreneurial. Cuckooing criminals often approach the victim offering free drugs to use their home for dealing. Once they gain control, gangs move in with the risk of domestic abuse, sexual exploitation and violence. Children as well as adults are used as drug runners.

Types of cuckooing

There are different types of cuckooing such as:

• using the property to deal, store or take drugs
• using the property to store and deal weapons
• using the property for 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.

Victims of cuckooing

A criminal will often befriend the adult at risk of harm in order to exploit them and use their property. The adult is usually too intimidated and scared to report it to anyone. The cuckooing victim may already be known to the police, and the adult is often:

• an adult who uses drugs and alcohol, or has substance misuse issues
• an older person
• an adult who suffers from mental or physical health problems
• a female sex worker
• a single parent
• an adult living in poverty

What cuckooing looks like

It's common for criminal gangs who exploit cuckooed victims to have access to several addresses. They move quickly between people’s homes for just a few hours, a couple of days, or sometimes longer. This helps gangs evade detection.

By cuckooing the criminals can operate from a discreet property, which is out of sight, making it an attractive option. They can then use the premises to deal and manufacture drugs in an environment that is not under the police radar.

These gangs may also use accommodation in the following places:

• rural areas
• serviced apartments
• holiday lets
• budget hotels
• caravan parks

When the criminals use the victim’s property for criminal enterprises, the inhabitants become terrified of going to the police for fear of being suspected of involvement in drug dealing or being identified as a member of the group, which would result in their eviction from the property. Some adults at risk of harm may be forced to leave their homes, making themselves homeless and leaving the gangs free to sell drugs in their absence.

Cuckooing - advice from West Yorkshire Police

A cuckooing animation has been developed by West Yorkshire Police and members of the Cuckooing Research & Prevention Network.

This animation provides an introduction into Cuckooing.