Government targets prevention of drone use for contraband smuggling

Posted to News on Saturday, June 13, 2026 Share:

UP TO 13,000 prison cell windows across England and Wales will be fitted with heavy-duty steel grilles to stop drones smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into jails. The roll-out, backed by £35 million of Government funding, will see physical security strengthened at 17 high-risk prisons vulnerable to drone activity and crack down on criminal gangs exploiting increasingly sophisticated drone operations.

The steel grilles will provide a tough physical barrier to block the delivery of contraband, which can wreak havoc behind bars. Many of the grilles will be manufactured by prisoners themselves, helping to cut costs and affording incarcerated offenders skills for the job market so they can leave crime behind.

The news emerges at a time when crooks are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach. Drone sightings around prisons increased by 770% between 2019 and 2023, not only undermining rehabilitation efforts, but also threatening the safety of staff and prisoners alike.

Violence, debt and disorder 

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “Drone smuggling fuels violence, debt and disorder in our prisons. It wrecks rehabilitation and puts lives at risk. This new investment will further bolster prison defences against drones, building on our work with the police to catch and prosecute the criminal gangs responsible.”

Lammy added: “To the criminal gangs using drones to target our prisons, my message is clear: we are shutting down your routes, disrupting your operations and bringing offenders to justice.” 

The announcement builds on £40 million already invested by the Government to strengthen prison security, including £10 million specifically on counter-drone measures such as external netting and wires. 

A large-scale joint operation between the police and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has already resulted in over 200 arrests linked to drones smuggling contraband into prisons. In March, gang members that used drones to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into prisons were sentenced to a combined 22 years’ imprisonment thanks to an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Service in partnership with HMPPS.

Welcome investment 

Steff Sharp, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for countering the threat from drones in prisons, said: “We welcome this investment as it aligns with our continued pursuit of those using drones to smuggle weapons, drugs, phones and other contraband into prisons. These items fuel organised crime, impact local communities and increase the risk of violence towards staff and inmates.”

Sharp added: “Counter-drone activity is complex, which is why we are committed to working closely with HMPPS and other partners to make sure this criminality is prevented, intercepted and offenders are brought to justice.”

The investment supports wider Government efforts to develop counter-drone capabilities, including by learning from Ukrainian expertise developed on the battlefield and from innovators through a competition launched this year to tackle the illegal use of drones in prisons.

More broadly, the Government plans to build 14,000 extra prison places nationwide by 2031 – with 3,100 already added since July 2024 – to keep the nation’s streets safer.