Officers have seized two drones containing mobile phones and drugs flying near HMP Pentonville prison in London, UK.

From 12 to 14 August, officers from the Caledonian Neighbourhoods Policing Team and the Metropolitan Police’s special constabulary undertook patrols in the surrounding area under Operation Airborne, which was conducted to prevent and catch offenders attempting to deliver contraband into the prison.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

On Saturday, officers spotted a man acting suspiciously close to the prison.

On noticing the police, he fled from the scene, dropping two bags containing a quantity of Class B drugs and mobile phones.

The next day, officers recovered a drone after tracking it flying over HMP Pentonville prison, before it crashed.

“We work closely with the prison service to gather intelligence in order to carry out proactive operations to arrest and prosecute such offenders."

The officers were later alerted to another drone being flown towards the prison.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

However, the low flying drone was blocked mid-flight and a package containing a large quantity of drugs and two mobile phones was recovered from it.

Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector Steve Heatley said: "These recovered drones carried a substantial amount of Class B drugs, legal highs and a large quantity of mobile phones; we are able to intercept them thanks to the vigilance of officers and the public.

“We work closely with the prison service to gather intelligence in order to carry out proactive operations to arrest and prosecute such offenders.

“I would urge anyone with information about these events to contact the police or Crimestoppers to help us to identify those responsible."

The police have so far not made any arrests in connection with the matter.


Image: Seized drone with bag. Photo: courtesy of London Metropolitan Police.

Airport Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airport Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Klayo’s talent and compliance platform tailored for airports has secured the Innovation Award in the Workforce Digitalization category . Learn how its competency gap analysis, integrated compliance hub and data-driven workforce planning are helping airports streamline operations, strengthen governance and engage employees.

Discover the Impact