The Sky’s the Limit: How Drones Are Fueling a New Crimewave in British Prisons

[Social Media]

 

Under the dim glow of security lights at Wandsworth Prison in South-West London, the faint whir of a drone pierces the night. Hovering close to the roof, it carries a black plastic bag that sways in the air as the device moves purposefully toward a cell window. A prisoner extends a makeshift hook, carefully snagging the contraband before retreating into the shadows. Another delivery complete, another success for organized crime.  

 

This scene, captured on a brief but revealing video, exemplifies a growing crisis that some officials have labeled a threat to national security. At Wandsworth and across the UK’s prison system, drones are being used to smuggle in a staggering array of contraband—drugs, weapons, mobile phones, and even takeaway meals. HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways, has recorded at least 220 drone-related incidents in the past year alone, more than any other prison in England and Wales.  

UK Prison Drone Delivery of Contraband

It’s so easy and the prisons know it’s going … so, why aren’t they stopping it ?

The government must know too pic.twitter.com/3NA0qxjLXq

— WeGotitBack 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@NotFarLeftAtAll) January 25, 2025

 

One inmate likened the scale of the operations to a major airport, claiming there were “more flights landing than Heathrow.” And despite the presence of signs declaring prison airspace a “No Drone Zone,” the warnings carry little weight among criminals determined to exploit the system. Even the signs themselves have been vandalized, their threats of prosecution erased as a sign of defiance.  

 

 

 

The Ministry of Justice reports that drone-related incidents at prisons have surged by 770% over the past four years, exceeding 1,000 cases last year alone. Organized crime groups operating within prison walls are believed to be paying drone pilots tens of thousands of pounds to deliver packages with the efficiency of an online retailer. Videos posted online show drones lowering parcels by string or dropping them at prearranged locations, while inmates use broom handles or hooks to retrieve their loot.  

 

Security measures designed to counteract the problem are proving ineffective. At Long Lartin, a high-security prison in Worcestershire, contraband is sometimes disguised as bags of human waste—tossed from cell windows under the cover of night and later retrieved by prisoner cleaners. At HMP Manchester, four in ten prisoners test positive for drugs, while at Long Lartin, more than half of inmates say it’s “easy” to obtain them. Windows smashed to aid in smuggling were replaced with £5,000 Perspex panes, only for inmates to discover they could burn through them.  

 

Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, has issued stark warnings about the escalating crisis. He argues that the UK’s most secure prisons have effectively “ceded the airspace to organized crime gangs.” In an interview, he raised an even more chilling possibility—drones delivering firearms or explosives, potentially enabling violent escapes or endangering the public. “If zombie knives can go over, then what else?” he questioned. “Heaven forbid, something like explosives.”  

 

Despite years of warnings, the problem continues to spiral. Between August and December 2020, a single criminal network conducted over 20 drone flights into HMP Risley, delivering contraband worth an estimated £1.7 million. At HMP Highpoint in Suffolk, a crashed drone provided investigators with a breakthrough, linking it to 62 illicit flights across multiple prisons. In another case, a husband-and-wife duo carried out more than 100 drone drops across 11 facilities, laundering nearly £50,000 in payments from prison gangs.  

 

One of the most high-profile cases involved Lucy Adcock, a 47-year-old mother of five, who played a central role in coordinating over £1 million worth of drug drops into UK prisons. Caught with a drone in her car near HMP Parc in Wales, Adcock’s activities were traced to 22 separate smuggling operations. She wept in court as she was sentenced to six years in prison.  

 

Historically, weapons have rarely been used in UK prison escapes, but the last major incident—at HMP Whitemoor in 1994—saw IRA prisoners smuggle in firearms and Semtex explosives. Security experts fear a modern version of such an event could be facilitated by drones. Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, has called the situation a “scandalous security lapse,” warning that if criminals can routinely drop drugs and phones into high-security facilities, what’s stopping them from delivering something far more dangerous?  

 

For now, the night skies above Britain’s prisons remain contested territory. As criminals exploit ever-advancing technology, authorities are scrambling to keep up, knowing that the next drone drop might bring more than just drugs—it could bring disaster.

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail 2025-02-06

 

 

[Cryingdick]

Jam the signal and put netting over the yards. 

[DaRoadrunner]

How long will it be before they smuggle in explosives to blow a hole in the wall?

[topt]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

The Ministry of Justice reports that drone-related incidents at prisons have surged by 770% over the past four years,

I can''t really believe that they have known about the issue for that long but seemingly have no solution.......that's criminal in itself......

[The Old Bull]

A 410 would work fine ,small enough there would be no collateral damage. Would be fun for the guards better than trap shooting.

[3NUMBAS]

Most jails have covers on yards and jammers ,it’s an old prison with loopholes 

[Purdey]

I was quite annoyed that one prison (outside Bangkok) blocked all signals on the mobile phone that I needed in order to call someone. Couldn't figure out what was wrong with my phone until I got to the gate and was told all phones were blocked for over half a mile around it.

I think that prisoners should have easy access to call families, for instance family numbers would be logged and could be called day or night. There is a reason prisoners want drugs.