Prisoners had drugs and weapons 'delivered to order... as if by Uber Eats or Deliveroo'

A gang that used drones to smuggle drugs, weapons and phones into prisons has been jailed by a judge who likened their operation to "Uber Eats or Deliveroo".

Harrow Crown Court heard that Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, had orchestrated dozens of "drops" to inmates across London and southeast England between 2 December 2024 and 26 February last year. Jurors were also told that Hashim Al Hussaini, 28; Mohammed Hamoud, 22; Faiz Salah, 29; Zahar Essaghi, 51; Mustafa Ibrahim, 30; and Emanuel Fisniku, 25; assisted the operation by acting as lookouts and drivers, and also received payments for the illicit shipments.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the seven would travel by car to the prisons, often in the early hours of the morning, and fly packages filled with contraband through cell windows. The force added that the gang was responsible for 75% of all drone drops into London prisons between December 2024 and February 2025.

Smuggling with drones has become an increasing problem for UK jails in recent years. Last month one prison governor told Sky News it had gone from "haphazard" local criminals, to gangs specialising in drone drops.

Short-staffed guards could not tackle drones Harrow Crown Court, sitting at Hendon Magistrates' Court, heard at least two flick knives were among contraband planned to be smuggled into the prisons by Mohseni's operation, as well as packages of drugs including cannabis, Xanax and Valium, and tiny mobile phones that could be hidden from guards. Sentencing the gang on Tuesday, Judge James Lofthouse said prison guards struggled to take down the "well-oiled conspiracy" - despite seeing the drones making the drop-offs at cell windows late at night or in the early hours - because of staff shortages.

Guards could at times see "prisoners were stuffing items behind pipes" through the door hatch of their cells, he added, only for the illicit goods to disappear by the time there were enough staff available for a search. Describing the conspiracy, the judge said inmates had items delivered "to order...

as if by Uber Eats or Deliveroo.