Criminal gangs are forcibly occupying hundreds of residential properties across the United Kingdom every week to store and distribute illegal drugs, police chiefs told the BBC on June 9, 2026.
The illicit practice, known as cuckooing, systematically targets vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, disabled, or drug-dependent people who are then trapped inside their own residences.
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Data shared exclusively with the BBC revealed that the Metropolitan Police Service recorded 1,539 cuckooing incidents in London between May 2025 and April 2026, with 1,275 of those victims identifying as male.
National Police Chiefs' Council representative Kirsten Dent stated that perpetrators subject victims to horrific forms of abuse to maintain control over the properties.
"We've had cases where they've been forced to eat dog excrement or perform sexual acts, and those will be recorded and then used as a form of blackmail," said Dent.
The National Police Chiefs' Council visited 683 suspected addresses in early March 2026 during a targeted week of action against county lines drug networks.
"We suspect hundreds - if not thousands - of properties are being cuckooed across the country every week," said Dent.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is expected to establish cuckooing as a specific criminal offense with a maximum five-year prison sentence by the end of the year, though official statutory guidance remains pending.
Victims' Stories
A 34-year-old brain injury survivor named Jamie recounted how an organized gang befriended him before seizing his flat without consent to sell illicit substances.
"People went from being really nice and sound to me, to just taking whatever they can," said Jamie.
The victim noted that the gang systematically cleared his apartment of valuable belongings while he felt completely unable to defend himself due to his physical condition.
"They robbed my clothes," said Jamie.
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The perpetrators also utilized physical violence to assert dominance before the victim successfully fled to another part of the country earlier this year.
"I have got brain damage and one decent punch could do a lot of damage. I can't fight, I can't argue," said Jamie.
Another victim named Jackie explained that her former narcotics dealer forced an operative into her residence after manipulating a drug debt by adding an extra £2,000 to her bill.
"I asked him to leave so many times and he said: 'My guy said I've got to stay here'," said Jackie.
The dealer confined her to a single bedroom for several months before abruptly leaving due to suspected police surveillance, after which Jackie successfully completed rehabilitation.
"It just meant that I had to stay in one room.
I tried to get access to the front room and the kitchen and he just went, 'no, you're not coming in'," said Jackie.
The survivor now collaborates with community support groups to increase public awareness regarding the various forms of property exploitation.
"It's not just about drugs. It can be about anything.
It can be partners not leaving. It can be family members.
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It can be anybody that refuses to leave your property," said Jackie.
