Smugglers targeting ‘captive’ market in UK prisons

HIGHLY ORGANISED smuggling gangs are targeting prisons to exploit the “captive market” behind bars, the Justice Secretary has warned.

David Lidington flagged up how operations to sneak prohibited items such as drugs and mobile phones into jails have changed from “crude and opportunistic” to “sophisticated and systematic”.

He said criminal gangs are delivering and dispatching contraband on a commercial scale, often using new technologies such as drones. The availability of drugs has repeatedly been identified as a factor behind surging levels of violence seen across jails in England and Wales.

Mobile phones are also seen as a major challenge amid concerns they are used to facilitate more crime and intimidate victims from behind bars.

In a speech in central London, Mr Lidington said: “The fact is, our prisons are facing a clear and present danger from well-organised individuals and criminal networks. These are networks that are every bit as professionally operated as a legitimate business but they happen to be engaged in criminal activity.

“Over the past few years these gangs have exploited opportunities to target and profit from what is literally a captive market in prisons.”

Mr Lidington called on online retailers to stop selling miniature mobile phones, which are no bigger than a cigarette lighter and can evade prison detection equipment.

He said gangs have also turned to drone technology to aid their criminal activity.

“Smuggling has gone from crude and opportunistic – a friend or family member chancing their luck and throwing a bag of drugs over a prison wall – to sophisticated and systematic,” the Justice Secretary said.