"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.