Hundreds, potentially thousands, of homes across the UK are being seized weekly by drug gangs, primarily for storing and distributing illegal substances, senior police officials have revealed.

This practice, known as 'cuckooing,' involves criminals forcing their way into the residences of vulnerable people, such as the elderly or disabled, to conduct criminal activities. In some instances, drug users are coerced into allowing gangs to occupy their homes, with perpetrators refusing to leave.

While cuckooing is not yet a specific criminal offense, leading to limited official data on its prevalence, figures obtained exclusively by the BBC indicate a significant problem. In London alone, police recorded 1,539 incidents of cuckooing between May 2025 and April 2026, with 1,275 of the victims being male.

Kirsten Dent of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) described the severe impact on victims, who often find themselves trapped in their own homes. She noted that some victims have been subjected to horrific abuse, including being forced to consume excrement or perform sexual acts, which is then used as leverage for blackmail.

The covert nature of cuckooing, occurring within private residences, makes it difficult to detect. The practice is named after the cuckoo bird, known for laying its eggs in other birds' nests. Authorities anticipate that cuckooing will become a specific criminal offense by the end of the year, carrying a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

This new legislation is part of the broader Crime and Policing Act 2026, but statutory guidance is still pending from the government before police forces can fully enforce it. Ahead of these legal changes, the BBC observed the Metropolitan Police in London conducting visits to suspected cuckooing locations, documenting scenes of severe squalor.

Victims interviewed by the BBC described feeling like "prisoners in their own homes" and expressed fear of reporting incidents due to potential violent retaliation. One victim, identified as Jamie, 34, whose brain injury affects his mobility and speech, felt particularly vulnerable and unable to resist.

The lack of specific legislation has hampered comprehensive data collection, making it challenging to grasp the full scale of the issue. The NPCC highlighted that the hidden nature of these crimes means many incidents likely go unreported, further obscuring the true extent of cuckooing across the nation.