HMP Edinburgh amongst 'country's worst' for drone drug deliveries
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HMP Edinburgh has been named as one of the most notorious prisons for narcotic drone use.
Politicians are calling for the Scottish Government to clamp down on the use of drones to deliver drugs beyond prison walls in Scotland.
HMP Edinburgh, as well as HMP Barlinnie, are known to have had the most drone discoveries in the county. Ministers are being urged to take immediate action to help curb the huge increase in drones being used to deliver drugs to inmates in prison.
The number of drug seizures made by officers from drones has risen by 1100% in just two years, as criminals think up new ways of getting illicit substances inside. Drugs are still rife in jails throughout Scotland, with hospitalisations and deaths reported regularly, The Scottish Daily Express reports.
Recently reported Scottish Prison Service data showed that 329 lags failed mandatory drug tests in 2024 alone, with six inmates dying from overdoses. Drones are being used to deliver drugs and weapons in to nicks, with these being ordered by inmates.
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Phones and other tech items are also regularly found stashed within the flying items, which are operated by people from a safe distance away from the premises where they are trying to unload items. Tobacco is big on the smuggling list, as are cannabis, needles, syringes and steroids, as well as street valium.
Using drones in this way is a relatively new phenomenon, with many of the deliveries undiscovered by prison officers, and leads to jails becoming overloaded with potentially fatal drugs. According to a freedom of information request, prison officers managed to intercept 22 drones in 2024 which were confirmed to include illicit substances.
This is a huge rise from the two reported in 2022 and a smaller increase from 2023, which has 18 drones captured by officers. The Scottish Tories called on more action to be taken to ensure drugs don't flood into prison.
(Image: SPS)
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr told the Scottish Daily Express: 'The SNP government cannot continue to dither on the alarming rise in drones being used to get drugs into Scotland's prisons. Ministers were asleep at the wheel when they allowed dangerous gangs to flood prisons with drug-soaked mail – before they finally agreed to Scottish Conservative calls for action – and history seems to be repeating itself.
'Every drone 'delivery' jeopardises the safety of hardworking prison staff and in many cases fuels further violence amongst offenders. Nationalist ministers must finally put robust measures in place to stop drones infiltrating prisons.'
A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said: 'Any attempt to bring illicit substances into our establishment, including by a drone, poses a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of those in our care, and we will use all technological and intelligence tools available to prevent this wherever possible. We continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.'
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The SPS recently introduced a new scheme to stop drones, with some prisons have secure window grilles installed, with Perth, Edinburgh and Glenochil all receiving these. It seems to have had an impact as there have been no drone breaches in six months in Perth, but it may be too costly to roll this out at all jails.
The Scottish Government said: 'We continue to support SPS's hard work to adapt its security measures to prevent, detect and deter the introduction of contraband. For 2025-26 we will invest £881.1million in our prisons to support frontline staff and enable SPS to continue to deliver a safe and secure prison system.'
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HMP Edinburgh amongst 'country's worst' for drone drug deliveries
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info HMP Edinburgh has been named as one of the most notorious prisons for narcotic drone use. Politicians are calling for the Scottish Government to clamp down on the use of drones to deliver drugs beyond prison walls in Scotland. HMP Edinburgh, as well as HMP Barlinnie, are known to have had the most drone discoveries in the county. Ministers are being urged to take immediate action to help curb the huge increase in drones being used to deliver drugs to inmates in prison. The number of drug seizures made by officers from drones has risen by 1100% in just two years, as criminals think up new ways of getting illicit substances inside. Drugs are still rife in jails throughout Scotland, with hospitalisations and deaths reported regularly, The Scottish Daily Express reports. Recently reported Scottish Prison Service data showed that 329 lags failed mandatory drug tests in 2024 alone, with six inmates dying from overdoses. Drones are being used to deliver drugs and weapons in to nicks, with these being ordered by inmates. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. Phones and other tech items are also regularly found stashed within the flying items, which are operated by people from a safe distance away from the premises where they are trying to unload items. Tobacco is big on the smuggling list, as are cannabis, needles, syringes and steroids, as well as street valium. Using drones in this way is a relatively new phenomenon, with many of the deliveries undiscovered by prison officers, and leads to jails becoming overloaded with potentially fatal drugs. According to a freedom of information request, prison officers managed to intercept 22 drones in 2024 which were confirmed to include illicit substances. This is a huge rise from the two reported in 2022 and a smaller increase from 2023, which has 18 drones captured by officers. The Scottish Tories called on more action to be taken to ensure drugs don't flood into prison. (Image: SPS) Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr told the Scottish Daily Express: 'The SNP government cannot continue to dither on the alarming rise in drones being used to get drugs into Scotland's prisons. Ministers were asleep at the wheel when they allowed dangerous gangs to flood prisons with drug-soaked mail – before they finally agreed to Scottish Conservative calls for action – and history seems to be repeating itself. 'Every drone 'delivery' jeopardises the safety of hardworking prison staff and in many cases fuels further violence amongst offenders. Nationalist ministers must finally put robust measures in place to stop drones infiltrating prisons.' A Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman said: 'Any attempt to bring illicit substances into our establishment, including by a drone, poses a significant threat to the health and wellbeing of those in our care, and we will use all technological and intelligence tools available to prevent this wherever possible. We continue to work with Police Scotland, and other partners, to take action against those who attempt to breach our security.' Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox The SPS recently introduced a new scheme to stop drones, with some prisons have secure window grilles installed, with Perth, Edinburgh and Glenochil all receiving these. It seems to have had an impact as there have been no drone breaches in six months in Perth, but it may be too costly to roll this out at all jails. The Scottish Government said: 'We continue to support SPS's hard work to adapt its security measures to prevent, detect and deter the introduction of contraband. For 2025-26 we will invest £881.1million in our prisons to support frontline staff and enable SPS to continue to deliver a safe and secure prison system.'
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