Chichester man among four arrested for drug dealing
He tried to escape as Police raided a house in Brighton
Sussex Police, carrying out welfare checks on a vulnerable man in Brighton, have arrested three men and one woman on suspicion of supplying drugs over two days.
Officers went to a property on the High Street on Thursday (27 January) as part of 'Operation Cuckoo'. That involves checks on vulnerable people deemed to be at risk of exploitation and ‘cuckooing’ the term given to drug dealers who use the homes of vulnerable people as a base to supply drugs.
Cannabis could be smelled at the property and three people, not believed to be living there, were found in one of the bedrooms. Searches found all three had Class A drugs and/or items linked to the supply of illegal drugs.
Two men from London, aged 22 and 33, and a 19-year-old woman of no fixed address, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and released on conditional bail.
CHICHESTER MAN ARRESTED
The following evening (28 January), Police went back to the address after a member of the public raised concerns about suspicious people at the property.
An 18-year-old man from Chichester was caught by officers after attempting to escape out of a rear window and arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.
Sergeant Peter Marshall, of Brighton and Hove’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said:
“The illegal drug trade goes hand in hand with violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Cuckooing has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, whose homes are taken over by drug dealers often through the manipulation of substance abuse issues or with the threat of violence. We will continue to work with our partners in the community to identify people who are at risk of this crime, put measures in place to keep them safe and bring the perpetrators to justice."
Police have said that the public reporting concerns is an essential part of that process and ask anybody with suspicions to get in touch via the Sussex Police website here.
You can also calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.