Criminals are using drones to smuggle drugs and cell phones into prison
It has been revealed that drones are now being used by criminals to smuggle drugs, mobile phones and other prohibited items into prisons.
According to data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI), it appears that drones were used up to 33 times in 2015 to smuggle prohibited items to prisoners, a 1,550% increase on just two cases in 2014. However, there were no recorded incidents in 2013. The items discovered include the drones themselves, drugs, mobile phones and chargers as well as USB drives.
Mike Rolfe, national president of the Prison Officers Association (POA), said: “The use of drones to smuggle traditional drugs, NPS (legal highs) and mobile phones into prisons is a serious concern for the POA.”
The use of drones first made its appearance in 2014, when prison officials discovered a drone carrying marijuana and a cellphone , which was located on power lines outside a South Carolina prison.
South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Bryan P Stirling said the investigation led to a nearby campground, where they discovered the accomplice.
“They would send small quantities on repeated trips,” he told the New York Times. “They would put the item on the drone, send it in, someone inside would somehow retrieve it, and send it back out again to send more.”
The method saw a surge in popularity the following year, with a number of incidents being published, due to the availability of drones at lower prices.
A drone successfully delivered a package containing tobacco, marijuana, and enough heroin for 100 doses to the recreation yard of an Ohio prison. The trick was so good it went unnoticed by prison guards. It only came to light when inmates started fighting over possession of the package.
The problem is not unique to the United States, however, as Australia has its own problems with drones, after a drone was spotted flying over Goulburn Prison in December last year. A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Corrections said an officer saw the drone 100 metres above the main part of the prison.
David Elliott, the Correctional Services Minister, said the incident was not surprising. “The technology is getting better and better, prisoners have access to it and so do criminal records,” he said. In 2015 alone, Mr Elliott said there were six incidents of drones flying over prisons in New South Wales.
It's really hard to find out how often this happens because most facilities don't have adequate systems in place to stop drones yet. So the only cases that are recorded are when someone sees them or if they crash into something.
