Publication - Advice and guidance
Criminal exploitation: practitioner guidance
Guidance to support a shared understanding of criminal exploitation to help assist with early identification of those at risk from serious organised crime. This guidance also applies to criminal exploitation which is not linked to serious organised crime.
Appendix 3 – Indicators
About the individual…
- Distressed behaviour
- Secretive
- Tiredness
- Withdrawn
- Missing episodes
- Checking phone frequently
- More than one phone
- Physical injuries
- New items/money
- Travelling out with area
- New friends/associates
- Access to substances
In the community…
- Increased activity at addresses
- Accents that are not local
- Different vehicles
- Signs of drug dealing
- Anti-social behaviour
- Fighting
- Children travelling alone
- Cuckooing
- Increase/change in drug supply
- Frequent deliveries (takeaways/packages)
Cuckooing indicators might include:
- Increase in people visiting address, including unusual times and vehicles
- Anti-social behaviour
- Usual occupant no longer at address, or is less visible
- Increase in substance use within or around the address
- Occupant appears anxious or distressed
- Barricades within the address (may take excessively long to open the door or communicate through letter box)
- Bags of clothing or bedding around the property
- “Weapons” within the property
1 This is consistent with the definition contained at paragraph 4.193 of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021.
Contact
Email: OrganisedCrimeUnit@gov.scot
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