UK: Smugglers tried to fly drugs, weapons and a mobile into a prison using a drone.
The plot, thought to be the first of its kind in Britain, failed when the remote-controlled aircraft crashed into netting around Bedford jail. A parcel attached to it contained the drugs, the phone, a knife blade and screwdrivers.
Prison governors around the country are now on alert for similar attempts.
A source said: “We believe this is the first case of a drone being used to try to get drugs inside a prison in the United Kingdom. This was successfully detected. However others may slip through.
“Using a drone is a lot easier than someone physically throwing a parcel over a wall or perimeter fence.”
The DJI Phantom 2 drone, available for less than £500, and the package have been handed to police.
A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: “We were called to reports that a small drone had been discovered alongside a package in netting above a perimeter wall at HMP Bedford at 11.30pm on March 6.
“Both the device and the contents of the package are currently being examined, and investigations are on-going to identify the offender. We are working closely with the prison to investigate this incident.”
According to an inspection report, medium security Bedford jail, which holds 500 inmates, has a good system in place to keep out drugs.
In February 2014, former Bedford prisoner Lee Hocking, 28, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was jailed for four years after throwing a package containing cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and a mobile over the wall.
In June, a drone carrying drugs crashed into netting at Wheatfield prison in Dublin. The method has also been used in the US. Drone use is strictly regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority.
