EDINBURGH: Scotland Yard has intercepted drones carrying large amounts of drugs and mobile phones over British prisons as part of its ‘Operation Airborne’ launched to deter offenders from delivering contraband items into prisons.
One device crashed after it was tracked flying over Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Pentonville in north London on August 14, while another low-flying drone was seized mid-flight later the same day, the police force said on Monday.
“These recovered drones carried a substantial amount of Class B drugs, legal highs and a large quantity of mobile phones. We are able to intercept them thanks to the vigilance of officers and the public,” said Detective Chief Inspector Steve Heatley of the Metropolitan Police.
“We work closely with the prison service to gather intelligence in order to carry out proactive operations to arrest and prosecute such offenders,” he said.
The Met has launched Operation Airborne to deter and catch offenders attempting to deliver contraband items into prisons.
On August 13, officers also spotted a man acting suspiciously close to the prison.
He fled the scene on foot, dropping two bags containing a quantity of Class B [prohibited] drugs and mobile phones. No one has been arrested in connected with the three incidents so far.
Earlier this year, it was disclosed that drones were increasingly being used to smuggle items into prisons in England and Wales.
Figures showed there were 33 incidents involving devices in 2015, compared to two in 2014 and none in 2013.
Drugs, phones, mobile chargers and USB cards were among smuggled goods discovered as part of Operation Airborne.
