A man who flew drones with drugs, tobacco and phones into prisons has been jailed for nearly seven years.
Mahamood Diallo Blin, 26, ‘prolifically’ flew the items into prisons in London and across the southeast.
A court heard the 26-year-old flew a drone inside MP Pentonville in north London which had drugs and phones in August 2023.
However it was found by prison staff after it crashed.
An investigation was launched by the Met Police which later linked this with a similar occasion when a different drone crashed into HMP Coldingley in Surrey, the previous year.
The probe, which involved the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit flagged 37 times when drugs, tobacco and phones were being flown into prisons in the area which later led to the drug dealer being charged in connection with these and other crimes.
Blin of Charlton Church Lane, Greenwich pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to conspiracy to convey Class A drugs, conspiracy to convey mobile phones as well as conspiracy to convey tobacco.
Mahamood Diallo Blin, 26, ‘prolifically’ flew the items into prisons in London and across the south-east
A court heard Blin flew a drone inside MP Pentonville which had drugs and phones, however it was found by prison staff after it had crashed in August 2023
The probe, which involved the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit flagged 37 times when drugs, tobacco and phones were being flown into prisons in the area which later led to being charged in connection with these and other crimes
He was jailed for six years and 11 months on Monday at the same court.
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Zara Baker, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: ‘The Met is focused on tackling drug dealing as we know it fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour across London.
‘Smuggling illegal drugs into prison increases the risk of violence towards those working within prisons and to other inmates.
‘It adds to the struggles faced by those affected by addiction and attempting to rehabilitate while serving their sentences.
‘Blin’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences he committed and I hope his sentence sends a clear message that offenders will be brought to justice.
‘We will continue to work closely with His Majesty’s Prison Service, South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and the Crown Prosecution Service to tackle serious organised crime and target those who profit from the crime at the expense of others.’
He was jailed for six years and 11 months on Monday at the same court
A spokesperson from the South East Prison Intelligence Unit in SEROCU, said: ‘Tackling the issue of conveyance of drugs and other illicit items into prisons using drones is one of our priorities.
‘By working closely with both the Metropolitan Police Service and HM Prison & Probation Service we have been able to ensure that someone who was prolifically using drones to fly prohibited items into the prison estate with complete disregard for the harm this caused, has been stopped in his tracks.
‘We will continue to work together to disrupt this activity which fuels organised crime.’
If you have any information about criminality involving drugs, please call your local police force on 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Earlier this year a prisons watchdog warned drones delivering drugs and weapons into jails pose a ‘threat to national security’.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said police and jail chiefs have ‘ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs’ amid huge numbers of illicit drone flights.
Apart from consignments of illegal drugs and weapons, prisoners are receiving mobile phones and even takeaway meals, Mr Taylor found.
He called for urgent action after inspections found high levels of drugs in HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire.
Mr Taylor said: ‘The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
Inspections found high levels of drugs in HMP Manchester (pictured) and HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire
Prisoners are burning holes in windows at HMP Manchester to get drone deliveries
Security measures such as protective netting to stop drones had been allowed to fall into disrepair (file image)
‘It is highly alarming that the police and Prison Service have, in effect, ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs, which are able to deliver contraband to jails holding extremely dangerous prisoners including some who have been designated as high-risk Category A.
‘It is chilling that weapons can be delivered in this way – especially when some of these wings hold terrorists.’
Last year a couple’s drone-based drug smuggling operation has been grounded after the pair were jailed for a combined seven years.
Sajad Hashimi and his wife Zerka Maranay made more than 100 drone drops into 11 jails and young offenders’ institutions in just over a year – the vast majority at a single prison, HMP Onley in Warwickshire.
Footage from one smuggling operation, published by police, shows a drone hovering over a prison at night while lowering mobile phones on a fishing line.
Drone pilot Hashimi, 27, flew his DJI Phantom 4 into prisons on 78 dates between August 2022 and October 2023 – making drops as far south as Dorset and as far north as Edinburgh, with his wife hiring cars to help along the way.
Maranay, 28, hired at least 20 cars at a cost of £17,000 and used her bank account to launder nearly £50,000 her husband had received for piloting the drones.
Serjad Hashimi flew drones over prisons to make illegal drops of drugs and mobile phones
His wife Zerka Maranay used her bank account to launder his ill-gotten gains and hired cars for him in order to make the drops
Footage recovered from the drones showed how the couple would use the remotely piloted vehicle to carry goods over prison walls
They would then lower the items to the ground using fishing lines under cover of darkness
But the couple from Camden in north London were snared in October 2023 after Northamptonshire detectives began investigating a spike in drone drops at HMP Onley and discovered the Met Police was already looking into Hashimi’s activities.
Officers searched the couple’s home on August 3, 2023 year and found a drone along with cocaine and cannabis.
Hashimi pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs into prisons and conspiring to convey List B prohibited articles into prisons.
Maranay admitted conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prisons and money laundering.
Hashmini was jailed for a total of six years at Northampton Crown Court while Maranay was sentenced to 15 months.