Jail smuggling hit by anti-drone tech CLAMPDOWN SEES MORE SEIZURES
IRISH prison authorities have stepped up their battle to stop drugs and phones being smuggled into prisons on drones.
A clampdown led to the highest known seizure of contraband ever last year thanks to new anti-drone technology installed in six prisons.
It’s believed four of the biggest jails Mountjoy, Wheatfield, the Midlands and Portlaoise have all had massive tech upgrades — but this hasn’t been confirmed for security reasons.
It’s understood prison officers can track the drones trying to fly in with illicit goods especially at night and take them down.
Last year alone prison staff seized 1369 phones, 1,518 drugs and 292 weapons.
The Irish Prison Service stated:
“The Irish Prison Service saw significant seizures of contraband across the estate in 2021 with the number of seizures of illegal drugs and mobile phones being double the rate from
2016.
Priority
“This continues to be a priority. The reduced movements into prisons due to reduced commitals and visitors also saw a return to more traditional contraband smuggling methods such as thrown over walls and as a result higher levels of detection was recorded.”
A prison source added: “For a number of years there inmates were getting drugs and weapons by drone bag drops. But thankfully we have put a stop to all that now. “We have the technology to take the drones down and are winning the war.”
An Irish Prison Service report revealed that every jail has had a security review to stop contraband.
There are currently 356 prisoners seving life for homocide, 12 per cent of the prison population, 449 for sex offenses and 461 for issuing death threats and attempted murder.
Scruttons (NI) Ltd, with an address at Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1, faces charges under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
It is alleged that on the date of the haulier’s death at Dublin Ferry
Port Terminals, it failed to operate a container handler in such a way as to ensure , so far as was reasonably practicable, that workers not employed by the firm were not exposed to risks to their safety.
Consequently, it is alleged that Mr Collier “suffered injury and died”.