By Tom Martin
Screwdrivers, ceramic blades, and Stanley knives are among the dangerous items being smuggled into prisons by drones, 1919 can reveal.
New figures show the number of drones detected entering jails has soared, rising more than 30-fold in the last five years, as organised crime gangs use them to deliver phones, illicit drugs, and weapons.
Prison chiefs have also found a cycle spanner and WiFi modems, along with hauls of tablets, suspicious powder, tobacco, vapes, testosterone, steroids, and a lockback knife flown in from above.
A total of 65 drones were detected within the grounds of eight Scottish prisons last year, up from just two in 2019.
Tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs can be carried at a time by remote-controlled devices, fuelling violence, intimidation, and coercion in overcrowded jails.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has recognised the “significant threat” posed by smuggling and is working to stop ongoing airborne attempts to breach security.
1919 revealed last year that officials are preparing to deploy ‘covert technology’ to counter the rising problem.
The Scottish Government said it is investing more than £800 million in jails to improve safety.
But the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the statistics and contraband details through a freedom of information request, urged ministers to “get a grip”.
Liam Kerr, the party’s justice spokesperson, told 1919: “Soft-touch ministers are running the risk of repeating the same mistakes they made when they dithered over tackling drug-soaked mail that was flooding our prisons, despite our repeated calls for action.
“Every drone ‘delivery’ puts hardworking staff at risk and in many cases plays a part in fuelling violence among offenders.
“Ministers cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this issue and must put robust measures in place to stop drones infiltrating prisons.”
Of the 132 drone incursions recorded in 2023 and 2024, only 23 drones – 17 per cent – were recovered. The contents were retrieved in 42 cases, just 32 per cent of the time.
However, in most other cases, the contraband is not believed to have reached prisoners, and decoy drones are becoming a growing problem.
In some instances, banned items are bundled into shopping bags and suspended from the drone.
HMP Edinburgh recorded the most drone incursions in 2023 and 2024, with 66, followed by Glasgow’s Barlinnie with 60 and Perth with 17. Inverness, Low Moss, Glenochil, Greenock, Addiewell, Shotts, and the Lilias Centre in Glasgow each reported between one and three incidents.
Stanley knives and screwdrivers were found at Perth, while ceramic blades and a lockback knife were seized at HMP Edinburgh.
At HMP Addiewell, testosterone and USB microchips were recovered, and HMP Barlinnie saw prising tools, super glue, and soaked materials suspected to contain drugs.
Mobile phones, SIM cards, and WiFi modems were among the tech dropped across multiple sites.
In January, it emerged that the Home Office is evaluating the use of “electronic forcefields” to jam drone signals and tackle the issue in prisons south of the border.
The system, already in use at Guernsey’s Les Nicolles prison, detects any drone flown within 50 metres of the perimeter and activates an electronic ‘sky fence’, cutting the signal between the operator and the drone.
Les Nicolles governor John De Carteret said he had been contacted by the SPS as well as the Home Office team working on the technology.
An SPS spokesperson told 1919: “Any attempt to bring illicit substances into our establishments, including by a drone, poses a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of those in our care, and we will use all technological and intelligence tools available to prevent this wherever possible.
“We continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.”
The Scottish Government said it is “fully aware” of the impact drones are having.
“We continue to support SPS’s hard work to adapt its security measures to prevent, detect and deter the introduction of contraband,” a spokesperson said.
“Through the budget for 2025/26 we will invest £881.1 million in our prisons to support frontline staff and enable SPS to continue to deliver a safe and secure prison system.”