Man in 20s arrested in Bolton on suspicion of supplying class A drugs and cuckooing as officers shut down suspect county line
A man in his 20s was arrested in Bolton on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs and cuckooing, a practice where criminals take over vulnerable people's homes for drug-related activities. Police seized a mobile phone believed to be used as a drugs line. The article highlights the signs of cuckooing and mentions that it will be discussed in Parliament as part of new offences under the Crime and Policing Bill. Greater Manchester Police's County Lines Team has made significant arrests and seizures since 2022.
A Bolton man in his 20s was dragged from his bed at dawn Monday as Greater Manchester Police’s County Lines Team stormed an address suspected of harbouring a Class-A drugs line and the exploitative practice known as cuckooing.
Officers seized a mobile phone they believe served as the “drugs line” after executing the warrant, which forms part of a wider crackdown that has seen 366 arrests, 304 charges and the closure of 397 county lines since September 2022. Across Greater Manchester the unit has seized 108 kg of Class A and B drugs in the same period.
Cuckooing—where organised crime gangs take over the homes of vulnerable people to store or deal drugs—will be outlawed outright this week when Parliament debates the government’s Crime and Policing Bill. Constable Andrew Shaw said the morning raid had “closed down a suspected drugs line … which we believe may have been exploiting vulnerable people and taking over their own home.”
Shaw urged residents to report signs including late-night visitors, unfamiliar vehicles, anxious or dishevelled neighbours and unusual smells. “Drugs blight communities; from addiction to the exploitation of vulnerable people, illicit substances cause damage across Greater Manchester,” he said. Information can be given on 101, via gmp.police.uk or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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