Drones are increasingly being used to smuggle contraband into HMP Perth in Scotland, prompting police and prison authorities to explore new strategies to combat the issue.
The emerging threat was discussed during a Perth and Kinross Council’s Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee meeting on November 27, where councillors were briefed on efforts to tackle smuggling of drugs, mobile phones, and other illicit items into the prison.
Councillor Bob Brawn raised the issue, expressing concerns about the potential dangers posed by drones, he said:
“The big fear is that it won’t just be drugs, cigarettes or whatever, but it could be a gun going in. My question was, is that a problem we have at Perth? And what could we do to stop that?”
Cllr Brawn highlighted a counter-drone system called Sky Fence, used in Guernsey, which can detect and deter drones entering prisons. He asked if a similar system could be considered for Scottish prisons.
Inspector Stephen Gray of Police Scotland acknowledged the problem, explaining the proactive measures being taken in partnership with the prison service. He said:
“We work with the partners within the prison service to pro-actively target anybody who’s trying to bring in items to the prison. We do see similar issues in Perth as we do across the country, which is to be expected because people who are within Perth aren’t just from our area—they come from across the country and have links to various areas.”
Insp Gray confirmed that police and prison authorities are tackling smuggling through both covert and overt operations.
“One day last week we had plain clothes [officers] in the prison waiting, searching people, and detecting crime within the prison, and the next day we had a more overt police operation where we were out in uniform,” he said.
He emphasized their openness to exploring innovative solutions to address the issue, stating:
“We’re willing to work with partners to look at any new technology we can which will deter criminals.”
When asked if drones were becoming a more prominent problem, Insp Gray admitted that the use of drones is a growing concern.
“It’s becoming more of a problem in respect of it’s a new technology. However, we don’t see it happening all of the time, and we do work with partners to combat new technologies.”
The committee’s highlights the ongoing challenge faced by prison authorities and law enforcement in the UK with regard to addressing modern smuggling methods.
