Drone Delivery Gang Jailed for Smuggling Contraband into Prisons
A criminal gang that operated a sophisticated drone delivery service, compared to commercial platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats, has been sentenced to prison for smuggling drugs, weapons, and mobile phones into correctional facilities. The group orchestrated dozens of late-night and early-morning drops at prisons across London and the South East of England between December 2024 and February 2025.
The Mastermind and His Accomplices
Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, was identified as the ringleader of the conspiracy, described in court as the "grand delivery driver." He coordinated the illicit operations, arranging drops via phone calls to inmates and their relatives while receiving over £30,000 in payments for the drone flights. His accomplices included Hashim Al-Hussaini, 28, Mohammed Hamoud, 22, Faiz Salah, 29, Zahar Essaghi, 51, Mustafa Ibrahim, 30, and Emanuel Fisniku, 25. These individuals served as lookouts, drivers, and payment handlers, facilitating the smuggling enterprise.
Contraband and Delivery Methods
The gang targeted at least nine prisons, including Wormwood Scrubs, Brixton, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Norwich, and Leicester. They used drones to fly packages containing cannabis, Xanax, Valium, tiny mobile phones, USB sticks, and flick knives directly through cell windows. Judge James Lofthouse, presiding at Harrow Crown Court, characterized the operation as a "well-oiled conspiracy" that prison guards struggled to intercept, even when drones were visible during drop-offs.
Staff shortages exacerbated the issue, as officers could only watch through door hatches while "prisoners were stuffing items behind pipes." By the time sufficient personnel were available for searches, the contraband had often vanished. The judge condemned the gang for "flooding our prisons with drugs and mobile phones" and undermining prison safety, noting deliveries were made "to order" with a corrosive impact on security.
Police Investigation and Sentencing
The Metropolitan Police's Operation Buzzbin, led by the Specialist Crime Command, uncovered that the gang was responsible for 75% of all drone drops into London prisons during the investigation period. Police arrested Mohseni, Al-Hussaini, Hamoud, and Fisniku on February 26, 2025, while en route to HMP Norwich, after a tip-off about a knife smuggling attempt. A search of their vehicle revealed a JD sports bag containing a drone, two packages with phones and cannabis, and a knife.
In total, the conspiracy involved 70 visits to prisons over 86 days, with approximately 140 drone flights. All seven defendants pleaded guilty to participating in a "serious, organised, and prolific enterprise" to supply Class B and C drugs and convey prohibited articles into prisons. Mohseni received a sentence of five years and three months, while Al-Hussaini, Hamoud, and Essaghi were sentenced to 33 months, Salah to 31 months, Ibrahim to 30 months, and Fisniku to 27 months. Each must serve 40% of their sentence before release on licence.
Financial Transactions and Broader Implications
Financial analysis revealed that Mohseni received £26,785 from 14 individuals linked to serving prisoners, forming a "web of financial transfers" where he distributed payments to co-conspirators. His defense claimed he began the offending to pay off debts. The prosecution noted that while conspirators may not have been aware of all items smuggled, such as flick knives, they still conveyed them.
Detective Inspector John Cowell, who led the investigation, stated, "This highly organised gang thought they were outsmarting the police and prison authorities. What they didn't know is they were subject to sustained specialist surveillance." He emphasized ongoing collaboration with the Prison Service to combat gangs introducing violence and drugs into prisons.
Growing Threat of Drone Smuggling
The case highlights a escalating threat in the prison system. In July 2025, Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned of increased risks from drones, urging the prison service and government to enhance technology and intelligence efforts. Reports indicate criminal gangs can make up to £50,000 per delivery, with HMP Manchester recording over 220 drop-offs in one year. Nationally, the Ministry of Justice documented more than 1,000 drone drops in a 12-month period.
In response, the Ministry of Justice is investing £40 million in security measures, including £10 million for anti-drone technologies like window replacements, grilles, and specialist netting. Prisons Minister Lord Timpson affirmed, "Anyone trying to smuggle drugs, weapons or phones into jail using drones should be in no doubt - we will track you down, we will catch you, and you will face the full force of the law."
