Gang That Used Drones For Prison Drops Jailed

Frankie McCamleyHendon Magistrates' Court


Harry LowLondon


A gang that utilized drones to smuggle drugs, weapons and smart phones into prisons has actually been imprisoned.


An estimated 75% of drone drops across London's jails was because of the 7 men who targeted prisons of Wormwood Scrubs, Brixton, Pentonville and Wandsworth.


Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, Hashim Al-Hussaini, 28, Mohammed Hamoud, 22, Faiz Salah, 29, Zahar Essaghi, 51, Mustafa Ibrahim, 30, and Emanuel Fisniku, 25, were sentenced at Harrow Crown Court.


Det Insp John Cowell stated: "This highly organised gang thought they were outmaneuvering the police and jail authorities. What they didn't know is they underwent continual expert monitoring by Met officers."


All 7 guys admitted their functions in a "severe, organised, and prolific enterprise" to supply Class B and C drugs, and communicating list A and B short articles into jails. The hearing was held at Hendon Magistrates' Court, where some Harrow Crown Court cases are being heard.


The males would take a trip by cars and truck to the jails, frequently in the early hours of the early morning, and fly bundles filled with contraband through cell windows.


CCTV video shows some of the gang attaching fishing wire to a drone which was tied to a plan and melted using a lighter to protect it. This was then flown to the detainees in their cells.


The gang also targeted prisons in Norwich, Leicester, Onley in Northamptonshire and Bedford.


At the centre of the conspiracy was Mohseni, an Afghan national who was granted leave to stay as a kid in the UK in 2003.


He was sentenced to five years and 3 months and will serve a minimum of 40% of that.


He was explained in court as having the leading role behind almost every drop, arranging flights, running the drones, co-ordinating drivers and lookouts, dealing with payments totalling more than ₤ 30,000, and interacting directly with detainees utilizing illicit cellphones inside the jails.


His defence lawyer argued the 29-year-old had actually developed financial obligations of about ₤ 30,000 from a betting addiction and feared for his security.


The court heard that one drone crashed and was taken by the authorities at HMP Wandsworth.


It included marijuana, pills of Pregabalin understood as "brand-new Valium", and tablets of Alprazolam frequently offered under the brand Xanax.


Another package was obstructed inside Wandsworth Prison, after cops notified personnel of a drone flight to a particular cell. The bundle consisted of cannabis, cigarettes and 5 iPhones.


Financial investigations showed money being transferred from associates of serving detainees to fund the operation.


Last year, the chief inspector of jails Charlie Taylor warned of the increased risk drones would position for smuggling weapons and drugs into jails.