"I live in fear of them...": Vile 'Portuguese Mafia' cuckooing gang terrorised vulnerable addicts and used CHILDREN to peddle drugs

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A vile drugs gang known as the 'Portuguese Mafia' cuckooed vulnerable addicts and used CHILDREN to peddle drugs. The gang terrorised blocks of flats in Rochdale, deliberately targeting addicts before taking over their homes and using them as a base for their crimes.

Their terrified victims were too afraid to challenge them, and one had the keys to their flat stolen. Some have been relocated for their own protection, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Some members of the gang laughed as they were sentenced. The judge said she'd been subjected to 'abusive language' during their trial, and cannabis was also discovered in the dock during the case.

The gang, also known as the '706', peddled cocaine, heroin and cannabis on the Freehold and Falinge estates in the town, using threats of violence to instil fear. Social workers and cuckooed victims witnessed children being exploited to deal drugs on the gang's behalf.

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As part of the investigation three children were removed from the area for their own safety, and a further five were 'safeguarded' using other methods. Four adults were relocated for their protection.

Residents living in the areas in which the gang operated were left terrified by their behaviour. Drug dealing took place in stairwells of blocks of flats, as well as in football and basketball courts.

Det Supt Natalie Dalby, of Rochdale police, told how the gang's crimes had a 'dramatic effect' on the area. "The dealing in drugs along with the exploitation that goes with it is a blight on any community," she said.

"The use by the 706 of particular areas caused