Drugs and knives were hidden inside drinks cartons before being flown by drone into a host of Britain’s prisons, it has been revealed.
Bradley Scott, 27, and Jevonte White, 18, ran a service where prisoners could order contraband that would be delivered to the window of their cell.
Police have now released pictures of mango flavoured Rubicon drinks and Alpro almond milk cartons used to conceal the contraband.
Packets of drugs, illicit mobile phones, and even knives were sent in by drone, exploiting holes in prison security.
Detectives from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) have now revealed Scott and White were behind 105 drops at 17 different prisons between January and June last year.
Scott, of Limpsfield Avenue, Thornton Heath in Croydon, was sentenced to six years in prison at Lewes Crown Court last week.
White, of Nutfield Road, Thornton Heath, was handed a 23 month suspended prison term at the same hearing.
Both men pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prisons.
Police said class A and class B drugs were packed into drinks cartons and flown over prison walls “using a purpose-built drone which had been programmed with flight data to take it as close as possible to prisoners’ cell windows”.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Ian Bradshaw said: “Having drugs, weapons and mobile phones illegally brought into prisons makes the work of prison officers much harder than it already is.
“Once the items are inside prisons, they have to be paid for, which creates debts for inmates, which then have to paid, which can then lead to violence.
“Weapons in prisons also puts inmates at a much higher risk of serious injury or even death, along with the obvious risk which is posed to prison staff.
“Scott and White went to great lengths to conceal their offending, and put together intricate plans to bring these items into prisons. I hope that this case demonstrates that whatever lengths offenders go to, they will be caught and brought to justice.”
Drones being used to carry contraband into prisons has been a significant problem for the authorities in recent years.
Last year, after an audit revealed shocking failings, the government agreed to a multi-million pound rescue deal, including £22m alone to fix the jail’s windows.
A report set out how drones were being used routinely to breach security and feed the prison’s rampage drugs trade.
