Men who used drones to drop drugs and mobile phones into prisons jailed

Simon Woodhall and Josh Morris have been sentenced after they used what police called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to drop drugs, medications, smart phones, memory cards, data dongles and tobacco into a number of prisons.

An investigation was launched by Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU) after Morris was arrested near to HMP Frankland in Durham.

Working alongside law enforcement partners from across the north, as well as His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, Woodhall was also linked to the crimes.

Morris and Woodhall, who are both 32 and from Brierley Hill in Dudley, in the West Midlands, were jailed for 42 months and 30 months respectively at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday (Apr 7).

Their crimes relate to incidents at prisons in Durham, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester, Wiltshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire and the Humber between August 2023 and February 2024.

A statement from YHROCU said: “The pair utilised large sophisticated Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV’s) and flight mapping and control software to convey packages which included a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs, prescription medications, smart phones, memory cards, data dongles and tobacco.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Ollie Scoones, of the YHROCU, said “This was a complex investigation led by the YHROCU that showcased the benefits of collaborative working with other ROCU’s, police forces, HMPPS and partner agencies across the UK to combat the threat from serious organised crime groups and the criminal use of UAV’s.

“The sentencing sends a clear message to those involved in serious organised crime that the YHROCU will continue to dismantle their operations, pursue prosecutions and prevent them from benefitting from the proceeds of criminal activity to protect communities from the harm they cause.”