A new law UK anti-drone law restricts drone flights within 400 meters of prisons and young offender institutions. The law, which went into effect on January 25th, imposes fines of up to £2,500 for those who fly within 400 meters of the designated correctional institutions. Under the previous law, police could only act if there was evidence of contraband being smuggled into those institutions.
Those drone operators who smuggle or attempt to smuggle contraband into correctional institutions may face up to a decade behind bars. The purpose of the new law is to reduce the smuggling of illicit items into prisons, which drives violence and criminal activity within the prison system. Recent statistics reveal that the number of drones captured or sighted near prison grounds has more than doubled between 2019 and 2021.
Between 2019 and 2021, more than 500 drones were observed, intercepted, or confiscated near prisons in England and Wales. Since June 2016, a joint effort by police and prison personnel has resulted in over 70 convictions related to drones, leading to a cumulative sentence of 240 years in prison for individuals who violated the law.
Implementing virtual “no-fly zones” is poised to heighten the probability of law enforcement apprehending organized criminals during criminal activities. This, in turn, will streamline the process of initiating prosecutions, securing convictions, and imposing substantial jail sentences. Additionally, these novel anti-drone measures will fortify security by thwarting unauthorized aerial filming of prisons.
Prisons and Probation Minister Edward Argar emphasized the government’s intensified efforts to combat contraband smuggling into prisons. He highlighted the implementation of new anti-drone measures, advanced airport-style x-ray security, and drug detection dogs as crucial steps to stay ahead of tactics employed by organized criminals. These measures aim to enhance security by cracking down on illicit items that contribute to violence within prison facilities.
At HMP Risley in Cheshire, an orchestrated attempt to conduct an illegal drone operation involved a criminal gang trying to smuggle Class A drugs, mobile phones, and SIM cards into the prison, with an estimated value exceeding £1.7 million. This group conducted over 20 drone flights above the prison grounds from August to December 2020. Following a comprehensive, collaborative effort between Cheshire Police and HMP Risley staff, the seven individuals implicated in the operation were collectively sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
Post Image- An aerial view of a HMP prison taken from a helicopter in the United Kingdom. (Image Credit: Adobe Stock by Tom Falcon Harding)
