Home Secretary to Crack Down on ‘Cuckooing’ Crime

The significant increase in reported cases of Cuckooing, has not gone unnoticed to the Home Secretary Mr James Cleverly. Cuckooing, is when a criminal gang takes over a vulnerable persons home to commit specific crimes. In a recent statement released by the Home Secretary, Mr Cleverly highlighted the link between those Cuckooing gangs and County Lines drug gangs. In an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, he announced that anyone convicted of an offence where Cuckooing was a feature of the offending, will face a maximum sentence of five years in jail or an unlimited fine. The Home Office highlighted the connection between this crime and ‘county lines’ drug gangs. Mr Cleverly stated that Cuckooing ‘is a vile practice’ and the new amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill will reflect the impact it has on victims. Mr Cleverly reported that government in its bid to crack down on County lines gangs, had taken down 2,500 such gangs