Drones carrying as much as 7kg of goods have been flown into prisons
Criminals in Greater Manchester are delivering everything from hard drugs to mustard to prison cell windows, police have said.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Det Supt Andy Buckthorpe said the region’s gangs are using skilled drone pilots to deliver packages containing drugs, but also tobacco and even condiments.
GMP recently used dogs and a helicopter to raid HMP Forest Bank private prison in Salford as part of efforts to crack down on the problem.
A spokeswoman for the category B jail, which is run by French prison operator Sodexo, said staff were working with police to “tackle the conveyance of illicit items and reduce levels of violence”.
Police held an operation to stop people smuggling drugs into Forest Bank jail
Officers have reported other items being smuggled into Greater Manchester’s jails, including tobacco, shampoo, shower gel, and even sachets of mustard and tomato ketchup.
Det Supt Buckthorpe said the goods are often suspended on lines attached to the drones and are dangled close to cell windows.
“These drone pilots have got a really high skill set. The way you fly drones now, you can pin point them to certain area via coordinates and other methods,” he said.
He said the drones used were capable of delivering “huge payloads” of up to 7kg (15lb).
“The technology is improving all the time, it’s getting more sophisticated”, he said, adding it was also becoming more accessible as drones became cheaper.
The region’s other three prisons include the city centre jail HMP Manchester, referred to as Strangeways, HMP Hindley in Wigan, and HMP Buckley Hall in Rochdale.
Phones in the prisons were a “huge threat” as some criminals continue to orchestrate activities from the inside, Det Supt Buckthorpe said.
Released prisoner Christopher Crook said drugs and phones were rife inside
People leaving the prison told BBC Radio Manchester how drugs and phones were widely available.
Lewis Harrop, from Wythenshawe, who was released from Forest Bank jail after being jailed for theft, said: “You’ll see more drugs there on a day-to-day basis than what you’ll see out here.”
Prisoners used mobile phones “every day of the week” to contact the outside world, he said.
“If you really want to speak to your family, it can happen in an instant if you’ve got the money to pay for it.”
Christopher Crook from Leigh, another released prisoner who spoke to BBC Radio Manchester, said the conditions were rubbish and “the inmates run it, not the screws”.
George Cooper, from Buxton, who was also recently released, described the privately-run jail as “horrific” due to the levels of violence.
“I’d say 80% of Forest Bank are on drugs, and there are plenty of mobile phones,” he said.
A prison spokeswoman said smuggling and violence have decreased over the last year, “making HMP Forest Bank a safer community for staff and prisoners”.
John Webster, Assistant Chief Constable at GMP, said despite the challenges they are making progress
John Webster, Assistant Chief Constable at GMP, said keeping contraband out of prisons is a “challenge” but said police are making significant progress to block or bring down drones carrying contraband, which he added are mainly “drugs”.
He said: “You will hear often that drones and throw overs and all sorts of contraband manages to get into prison establishments but mark my words our exhibit store is choc-a-bloc full of drones and other stuff that we seize regularly on a daily basis, and we bring lots of people to justice for doing that.”
Rob Knight, Governor of Strangeways, said support from GMP in the past three years has improved, and the collaboration and relationships built has helped a greater understanding between the two workforces.
He said the greatest challenge prison staff and police face is keeping up with “sophisticated technology”.
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