The UK’s Chief Inspector of Prisons has again warned of the widespread ingress of illegal drugs into prisons by drone.
In his Annual Report, published today (July 8), Charlie Taylor said the prison service, police and security services must work closely together to tackle the threat from organised criminals. His report notes that drones were making regular deliveries to Manchester and Long Lartin which held some of the most dangerous men in the country, including terrorists and organised crime bosses. As we reported in January, the Chief Inspector found that physical security such as netting, windows and CCTV was found to be inadequate, seriously compromising safety and representing a threat to national security. These findings were revealed earlier in the year due to immediate concerns over the security of airspace above some prisons.
“Organised criminal activity was driving the drug economy with an alarming increase in the use of drones at many jails to deliver illicit items into prisons,” the new annual report states. “A lack of investment in technology and staff training made it hard for some jails to detect and deter the ingress of illicit items.”
In October 2024, the Ministry of Justice released figures for the number of drones spotted over prisons, rising from 122 in 2019 to 1063 in 2023. The 2023 total was a substantial increase over the previous year when 478 were “sighted or reported”. Chief Inspector Taylor’s comments in January and again today would suggest that this number has continued to rise.
For more information
Annual report at HM Inspectorate of Prisons
See also Unmanned Airspace: UK prisons inspector says airspace is being ceded to organised crime groups
Image: Ministry of Justice
