Drug use or dealing
It is illegal to possess, supply and produce controlled drugs in the UK - Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
We have a zero tolerance to substance misuse in our properties. As this a criminal behaviour we work in partnership with the Police to deal with any reports that relate to the misuse of drugs in our properties.
Section 23 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 provides police with the power to search a property if they have reasonable cause to suspect unlawful possession as it is illegal to allow our property that we own and rent to be used for drug-related acitivity. However, we are not legally responsible if our contract holders involve themselves in drugs in our properties, but as a responsible landlord we will work with our communities and partners in dealing with the problem.
Reporting to the Police
- Telephone 999 if you require an immediate response
- Telephone 101 if you do not require an immediate Police response and wish to report drugs in a property
- Report online to Gwent Police or South Wales Police
- Make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers
Once you have made a report to the Police they will provide you with an incident number or an occurence number. When you report ASB to us using our online form, please ensure you provide details of this number.
What is cuckooing?
Cuckooing is a term for the takeover of a house by gangs from outside the area who use the home as a base. They specifically target and befriend vulnerable people (such as those with support needs, learning disabilities or mental health problems) as they may be isolated, lonely and easy to manipulate. The next thing the person knows, their home’s been taken over and someone from the gang is staying there – exploiting others through illegal activities such as prostitution, people trafficking, modern slavery and drug dealing.
County lines - Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults
‘County lines’ is a term used when drug gangs from big cities expand their operations to smaller towns, often using violence to drive out local dealers and then exploiting local children and vulnerable people to sell drugs.
The gang might also send young, vulnerable people from their own area to distribute drugs, often intimidating and threatening them to make them stay. The impact of this is that young people become indebted to the gang and are forced into criminal activity and exploitation to pay off debts and are living in fear, feeling they’re trapped.
What you can do
After you’ve spoken with the police, please complete our online ASB form and provide your incident report number and the police officer you spoke to. We’ll use this information to work with them, and you, on next steps.