Following an anonymous tip off on Monday officers from Swindon Central South Neighbourhood Team attended an address in the Railway Village.
At the address, they found a 17 year old youth from Birmingham suspected of being a victim of exploitation at the hands of County Lines drug gang members who were cuckooing the address.
Cuckooing is a term used to describe the act of criminals exploiting the homes of vulnerable victims, often where they move in and use the address to supply drugs from.
The teenager was in the living room of the property where a search located a quantity of suspected class A drugs and cash resulting in the arrest of the teenager who has subsequently been released under investigation following interview.
Work is ongoing to ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are put in place to support the vulnerable victim.
Sgt Richard Fay of the Swindon Central South Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We encourage members of the public to continue to contact us with information – this can prove invaluable in our efforts to keep our communities safe. If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. To report any concerns please call 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”
In an emergency always call 999.
