10 arrested on suspicion of prison drug drone drops
Ten people in the region suspected of using drones to smuggle large quantities of drugs into jails across England have been arrested.
Police officiers carried out dawn raids at addresses in the Black Country and Birmingham today – arresting eight men and two women on suspicion of conspiracy to drop class A and class B drugs and psychoactive substances over prison walls.
It is believed the group may have delivered up to 90 consignments of drugs, plus phones and SIM cards, using drones between April 2016 and June last year.
The eight men, aged between 20 and 43, plus two women aged 34 and 40, were arrested in the early hours of this morning from addresses in Coseley, Tipton, Dudley, Oldbury, Weoley Castle, Northfield and Minworth.
It is alleged they used drones to fly drugs into prisons including HMP Birmingham in Winson Green; HMP Oakwood and Featherstone; Worcestershire’s HMP Hewell; HMP Risley in Warrington; HMP Wymott in Lancashire and HMP Liverpool.
Detective inspector Erica Field from the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit’s Prison Intelligence Unit and Prison Investigation team, said: “These arrests are clearly very significant and come on the back of a detailed and very complex investigation into the smuggling of drugs and contraband to serving prisoners.
“Much of the violence behind bars is linked to drug use and supply so it’s vitally important we do all we can to cut off the supply lines – and anyone convicted of supplying banned substances into prisons can soon expect to be inmates themselves.”
