Drug Dealer Caught After Tenant’s Flat Taken Over in Cuckooing Scam
Police suspect a vulnerable tenant was targeted in a brutal cuckooing scam, where drug dealers seize control of someone’s home to run their criminal operations.
Chase and Arrest on Bentinck Road
Officers visited the tenant’s flat on Bentinck Road and, as they left, spotted a man allegedly using the property as a drug den. When confronted, the suspect took off, sparking a dramatic foot chase across gardens and walls.
The man ditched a bag containing 15-20 wraps of suspected class A drugs during the escape. He was caught, handcuffed, and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
Weapon Found Amidst Drugs
Further searches uncovered a plastic canister resembling a CS spray canister in the discarded bag, leading to a second arrest for possession of a Section 5 firearm.
The 49-year-old suspect was held shortly after 8pm on 19 October 2022 but has since been released under investigation.
Police Urge Public to Report Drug Activity
PC Jordan Vilums from the Radford Road Response team said: “We know that drug dealers target vulnerable and this is why we take proactive steps to safeguard them.
“Drugs and weapons have a harmful impact on communities and that is why we work extremely hard every day to disrupt and ultimately stop those involved in such criminality.”
“If you have any information regarding criminal activity in your area, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, dial 999.”
