Crawley boy arrested after Samurai sword and machete discovered by armed police

Firearms officers discovered a machete and Samurai sword at the property, following an investigation into alleged ‘cuckooing’.

They were arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, threats to kill and being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug.

The raid on the house in Dursley Road on Saturday came after police had been investigating an alleged incident of cuckooing, according to police.

Cuckooing is a practice by which gangs take over the home of a vulnerable person to operate from, according to the National Crime Agency.

Firearms officers were called to the road at 4.28pm by a man who reported that two people had forced their way into his home.

He had been threatened and restricted to his bedroom, police said.

Due to the level of threat indicated, armed officers were deployed to the scene.

A machete, hunting knife, Samurai sword, mobile phones and cash were seized from the property, police confirmed.

A 16-year-old boy from Crawley was arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, threats to kill and being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug.

Another 16-year-old boy, from Lewisham, was arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, threats to kill, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug.

Both were bailed until October 6.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to report online at https://sussex.police.uk/appealresponse or call 101 quoting serial 834 of 08/09.