Two drug dealers took over a vulnerable man’s home in a classic case of cuckooing, a court heard.
Cuckooing is where people take over someone’s home and use it for dealing drugs and often as a place to live whilst at the same time exploiting the tenant.
Police in Huntingdon arrested both dealers at the home of the victim when they were carrying out a check on his welfare.
Officers found both the tenant and the pair of drug dealers inside the flat in Ermine Street, Huntingdon.
The occupant had barricaded himself to one side of the flat while the other side was being used to package and deal drugs.
Inside they found heroin and crack cocaine worth almost £2,000 and more than £700 in cash.
At Cambridge Crown Court on Monday (10 July), Adheel Rehma, 24, of Acocks Green, Birmingham, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Leo Sacceddu, 19, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months at Peterborough Crown Court on 30 May.
He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
PC James Sims, from the Huntingdon team, said: “Safeguarding vulnerable members of our community is an important part of neighbourhood policing and we won’t tolerate those that come into the town to deal drugs and exploit people.
If you are dealing drugs in Huntingdon, it could be your door we knock on next.”
