Sky High Smuggling: Britain's Prison Drone Crisis

Drone deliveries of drugs and weapons are becoming a serious security threat in British prisons, warns Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor. Despite no-fly zones, inmates in overcrowded prisons are receiving contraband through drones, exacerbating crime and safety issues. Urgent reforms in prison security practices are being demanded.

Britain is facing a burgeoning security crisis as drones are being used to smuggle drugs and weapons into prisons, according to the country's chief prisons inspector. Charlie Taylor issued a stark warning on Tuesday, highlighting the urgent need for action against illegal activities inside jails.

Drone operations around British prisons have surged despite the implementation of restricted airspaces last year. This rise comes amidst an overcrowding crisis contributing to an all-time high prison population in Britain, the nation with Western Europe's highest incarceration rate.

Inspections of two violent prisons, Manchester and Long Lartin, revealed thriving underground economies dealing in contraband. Basic security measures are reportedly failing, while the Ministry of Justice claims to be addressing these issues with enhanced maintenance and partnership efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)