Couple used drones and fishing lines to smuggle drugs into prisons across UK
Watch footage captured from a drone as it swung smuggled drugs into a UK prison (Credit: Northamptonshire Police/YouTube).
A husband and wife who organised and carried out drug "drone drops" into prisons across the UK have been jailed.
Sajad Hashimi and Zerka Maranay, from Compayne Gardens in Camden, London, were responsible for more than 100 drone incursions between August 2022 and October 2023.
They smuggled thousands of pounds of illegal contraband into prisons and young offender institutes, with the majority taking place at HMP Onley, near Daventry, Northamptonshire.
Northamptonshire Police investigated the increased drone activity in January 2023, leading to the arrest of Hashimi, 27, and Maranay, 28, in October.
The force found Hashimi piloted the drones and delivered the drugs to a pre-arranged drop point by dangling them from fishing line and hooks.
One drone which crashed at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk was found with a package that contained heroin, steroids, chargers, tobacco, SIM cards and mobile phones.
Police also proved that Maranay assisted Hashimi by hiring at least 20 cars which he then used to travel to and from 11 HMP sites, including Onley, Highpoint, Brixton and Edinburgh.
Maranay additionally used her bank account to launder the almost £50,000 which Hashimi had been paid for delivering the drugs.
Hashimi was only caught when Kent Police were called to HMP Maidstone due to a drone flying over the prison.
A car filled with drugs packages was found parked close to the prison, with a drone hidden under a nearby van, as well as Hashimi caught in the area.
Hashimi admitted conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs into prisons and conspiring to convey List B prohibited articles into prisons, while Maranay admitted the latter as well as money laundering.
Hashimi received six years and one month in prison and Maranay was sentenced to one year and three months.
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