10 people arrested in connection with smuggling drugs into prisons

HMP Winson Green, Birmingham Credit: ITV Central

Police in the West Midlands have arrested 10 people who are suspected of using drones to smuggle large quantities of drugs into jails across England.

Officers carried out dawn raids at addresses in the Black Country and Birmingham today (14 March) and arrested eight men and two women on suspicion of conspiracy to drop class A and class B drugs and psychoactive substances over prison walls.

It’s believed the group may have also delivered phones and SIM cards, using drones between April 2016 and June last year.

The eight men, aged between 20 and 43, plus two women aged 34 and 40, were arrested in the early hours of this morning from addresses in Coseley, Tipton, Dudley, Oldbury, Weoley Castle, Northfield and Minworth.

It’s alleged they’ve used drones to fly drugs into prisons including HMP Birmingham in Winson Green; HMP Oakwood and Featherstone; Worcestershire’s HMP Hewell; HMP Risley in Warrington; HMP Wymott in Lancashire and HMP Liverpool.