Crack dens, raids and arrests: Police swoop on homes across Rochdale as part of monthly 'blitz' on crime

A vulnerable man is led out of a dilapidated drug den on a quiet street in Rochdale. The man was a victim of ‘cuckooing’ a practice whereby criminal gangs take over a vulnerable person’s home in order to sell or store drugs.

Despite his protests, council and police officers surround him and assure him he will be sent to alternate accommodation away from the organised crime groups that have been exploiting him.

“The drugs are being dealt with here and it’s being used as a crack den basically," explains Gill Lucas, a housing lead for Rochdale Council who has been working closely with housing providers and GMP to tackle cuckooing in the area.

READ MORE: Detectives issue fresh appeal for witnesses after young dad stabbed to death in city centre

"You can see, the property’s wrecked, it’s intimidating for neighbours. Now we’ll get the tenant into more appropriate accommodation that he can manage and this property will be re-let to somebody who can look after it.

“It gives the neighbourhood reprieve, and you can see we take swift action. It’s not you having to complain a dozen times.

“It’s about saving tenancies, we’ve got a massive housing shortage, and if residential properties are being used for criminal activity, they’re not being used how they should be used. It’s about getting our properties back and taking control.”

The raid was part of a day of action from GMP called Operation Avro, a police initiative tackling crimes which have been reported by local residents. Held every month, the operation saw close to 250 officers mobilised for a day of raids, patrols and community engagement sessions.

By 8am they had made 28 arrests, carried out 10 warrants and found two large cannabis farms. One of the raids took place on a