Watch A Drone Smuggle Drugs Into A UK Prison
The post Watch A Drone Smuggle Drugs Into A UK Prison appeared first on High Times.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
Oh wait, it’s actually just a shitload of weed and some trap phones. Common mistake.
Man Vs. Machine
CCTV cameras recently captured the battle between a remote-control flying drone and a street-clothed detective at the base of the Pentonville Prison in the UK.
The detective, who was parked undercover outside the jail’s walls, spotted the flying apparatus in the air with a single piece of string protruding from the bottom. The law enforcement agent got out of his car and yanked on the string, bringing the drone crashing down to the ground.
Ironically, the officers that spotted the drone were actually in the midst of investigating a different drone crash at the prison. They were part of “Operation Airborne,” a watch group hired to prevent drones from penetrating the walls of the Pentonville Prison.
The unit was tipped off by a member of the prison staff who saw the drone on the jail’s CCTV cameras.
Per the Evening Standard, the drone had been carrying 118 grams of weed, two cell phones and 71.7 grams of a psychoactive substance wrapped in a black plastic bag.
The drone was being operated by 21-year old pharmacology student Charlie Adifiyi, who managed to flee the scene back on August 14. However, officers eventually tracked down Adifiyi using DNA found on the drone.
Officers also searched the student’s home in Islington and found an additional 476 grams of the psychoactive substance.
Adifiyi was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to attempting to smuggle cannabis, psychoactive substances and phones to his brother, who was also serving time for drug offenses. He also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance.
Parliament member Sam Gyimah lauded the prison staff for nabbing the drone before it made its way into the walls of the prison.
“I am determined to stem the flow of drugs into our prisons, and I want to pay tribute to the staff at HMP Pentonville and the police for preventing this haul from entering the prison system and undermining the stability and order at the jail,” Gyimah said. “This conviction should send a strong message to others who may attempt to do the same; we will find you and put you behind bars.”
Watch A Drone Smuggle Drugs Into A UK Prison
The use of drones has added a new wrinkle to drug smuggling, but apparently, law enforcement is well-equipped. Inspector Steve Murfin of Neighbourhoods Policing in Islington explained there is immense cohesion on the part of his group and the prison staff in order to stop any potential smuggling attempts.
“This drone was found to be carrying a substantial amount of cannabis and phones, and due to the vigilance of officers, it was prevented from entering the prison,” Murfin said. “We work closely with the prison service to gather intelligence in order to carry out proactive operations to arrest and prosecute those who commit this crime.”
The post Watch A Drone Smuggle Drugs Into A UK Prison appeared first on High Times.
