County Lines and Cuckooing July 2019

County Lines This information has been put together for our partners to give you an overview of : How criminal gangs are using the County Lines approach to deal drugs in Scottish communities The tactics used by these drug dealing gangs to exploit children and young people in their own area by sending them to Scotland to deal drugs The tactics used by these drug dealing networks to exploit vulnerable people in Scotland through cuckooing

What is a County Line? ‘County lines’ is the term used to describe the England based gangs or Serious Organised Crime Groups (SOCGs) who travel to rural areas or small towns to sell class A drugs, usually heroin of crack cocaine. The SOCGs typically use young or vulnerable people from their own area to deliver drugs (couriers) to customers in the rural areas, referred to as “going country”, and this often involves intimidation, violence, debt bondage, and/or grooming. The courier sent by the SOCG will either be set up in a local house to deal drugs or will themselves use threats and intimidation to get access to a local address.

How does it work? Occupant having new relationships/new friends.   Bags of clothing/bedding around the address. Increased visitors throughout the day/night. Increased vehicles outside the address, including taxi's, new vehicles and hire cars. Increased anti-social behaviour in the area. Disengagement with support services. Drug paraphernalia around the address and the Barricades within the address including weapons The SOCG set up a telephone number –the “county line” This phone will usually, but not always, remain in the home area of the SOCG The courier/s- often a young or vulnerable person, is sent to the area with drugs The courier/s- will set up in the area, providing the county line phone number to local customers, often exploiting vulnerable people by ‘cuckooing’/taking over their house The SOCG controlling the county line number will take drug orders and direct to their local courier Text in the slide-maybe an infographic

Exploiting children and young people These SOCGs actively recruit and exploit children and young people in their own area to travel to rural/small towns to courier and deal drugs They actively seek out the most vulnerable and groom them through the enticement of financial or material reward Once recruited they are further exploited by the use/threat of violence or debt bondage This practice has been seen in England for several years

Vulnerable children and young people travelling to Scotland This practise is not as widespread in Scotland, but there is now evidence of children and young people being sent to Scotland to deal drugs for these SOCGs Recent examples include: a 17 year old missing person from the North of England found in Scotland, using the house of a local vulnerable adult to deal drugs. a 15 year old from the North of England found in the North east Scotland in possession of Class A drugs. He claimed to have travelled to Scotland to meet up with girls he had met on the intranet

Exploiting vulnerable people in Scotland: What is Cuckooing? Cuckooing is a term closely related to County Lines. It describes the act of taking over a person's home by intimidation, exploitation, or violence, to use as a safe-house or accommodation for the drug courier. The victims of cuckooing are often vulnerable through drug addiction and may be initially paid with drugs or money for the use of their home and then exploited. This gives the gang a base in that area. is a term closely related to county lines, it describes the act of taking over a person's home by intimidation, exploitation, or violence, to use in the course of their criminality as a.

Indicators of Cuckooing Look out for: Increase in drug dealing activity at the address ; visitors/vehicles Previously unknown persons in area or at the address (non-local accents) Increase in reports of violence/antisocial behaviour Usual occupant no longer at address or is less visible Occupant appears anxious or distressed Bags of clothing or bedding around their property Barricades within the address, including weapons.

What can you do? If someone is in immediate danger - Call 999 We need information about County Lines and Cuckooing in Scotland. If you have any information please contact Police Scotland If someone is in immediate danger - Call 999 If you are suspicious about something you have seen or heard, call your local police on 101 Information can only be given anonymously through Crimestoppers 0800 111 555 or online, crimestoppers-uk.org

If you need further information please contact the Divert and Deter team, Safer Communities, Specialist Crime Division SCDDIVERTDETER@scotland.pnn.police.uk