PARIS: A drone was spotted in the middle of the night hovering over a prison in southern France, dropping packages to inmates inside. However, one package became stuck outside a cell window, prompting guards to seize three others. Across France, prisoners have been using drones to bring them illegal items such as drugs, phones, and even fast food, often delivering them directly outside their cell windows.
The failed delivery in southern France in early 2023 led to the discovery and dismantling of a business called “Drone2France”, which had been making deliveries to more than a dozen prisons in France and Belgium. From late 2022 to December 2023, inmates were placing orders through social media app Snapchat, paying around €450 (RM2,312) per package, with a maximum weight limit of 350 grammes.
The service provider required a minimum order of four packages per delivery, which often fell from the drone’s claws in potato sacks. Another operation known as “Air Colis” was busted in western France in September, utilizing fishing lines to lower contraband stuffed in socks. In another incident in southern France, authorities discovered parcels containing significant amounts of cocaine and cannabis.
According to prison guards, hundreds of drone deliveries are made each year. Dominique Gombert from the prison guard union FO Justice mentioned, “There isn’t a day when there isn’t a drone flying over, whether on the mainland or in overseas territories”. Last year, more than 1,000 drones were detected flying over prisons, with 400 of them being blocked.
Cannabis and kebabs
The prisons authority did not respond to a request for comment, but union representatives shared details on how the drone deliveries operated. Wilfried Fonck, the secretary-general of Ufap-Unsa Justice, stated that the deliveries are becoming increasingly precise, with drones almost reaching the windows of the cells. Most orders consist of cannabis and mobile phones, but also include kebabs, ceramic knives, spicy sausages, and religious books.
Delivery services are advertised directly on social media platforms, where they can pick up the goods from an inmate’s friend or relative. The drones used are typically smaller ones available for purchase online, limiting the weight of the packages. The drone operator is usually located within a radius of two to five kilometers from the prison, with accomplices keeping watch.
The drone usually flies with its lights off, guided by a light signaling from the inmate’s window. The detainee simply needs to reach out through the bars to catch the goods, taking advantage of the reduced number of guards during nighttime. Surprise searches can be conducted the next morning, but often become complicated as the contraband holders are usually discreet inmates.
‘Tom and Jerry’
Although France has not faced as serious drone security breaches as other countries, such as Ecuador, where explosives were found on a drone at a maximum-security jail, authorities are taking the issue seriously. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti stated that the government invested over €12 million in equipment to deter most drone threats.
This equipment includes detectors to identify drones above prisons and electromagnetic scramblers to disable the aircraft, causing them to land unexpectedly. While there have been some successes with these measures, some smugglers have resorted to older methods of tossing goods over the prison walls. Gombert noted that drone operators continue to innovate to outwit aerial defenses, with hackers finding ways to bypass security measures.
Authorities are often playing catch-up in terms of technological advancements, with the source mentioning a constant game of “Tom and Jerry”. Despite efforts to combat drone deliveries, operators find ways to work around the protection measures, highlighting the ongoing challenge of regulating aerial activities near prisons.
