Prison 'Deliveroo' Gang Jailed for Elaborate Drone Smuggling Operation
A sophisticated criminal network that operated a drone-based smuggling system into British prisons, described by a judge as functioning like "Deliveroo or Uber Eats for inmates", has been dismantled with all members receiving substantial prison sentences.
The Elaborate Smuggling Conspiracy
Shafaghatullah Mohseni, 29, masterminded what Judge James Lofthouse called a "well-oiled conspiracy" that orchestrated dozens of late-night and early-morning drone drops at prisons across London and South East England between December 2024 and February 2025. The operation targeted at least nine correctional facilities including Wormwood Scrubs, Brixton, Pentonville, Wandsworth, Norwich, and Leicester prisons.
Mohseni coordinated the illicit enterprise through phone calls to prisoners and their relatives, receiving more than £30,000 in payments for arranging drone flights that delivered contraband directly to cell windows. The Metropolitan Police revealed this single gang was responsible for 75% of all drone drops into London prisons during their three-month operation.
The Contraband and Delivery System
The gang smuggled a dangerous array of prohibited items including:
- Multiple packages containing cannabis, Xanax, and Valium
- Tiny mobile phones designed to evade detection by prison guards
- At least two flick knives among the planned shipments
- USB sticks and other electronic devices
Prosecutor Sam Barker detailed that the conspiracy involved 70 different visits to prisons over 86 days, with most operations involving multiple flights. The total number of drone flights was estimated at approximately 140.
How the Operation Functioned
The gang members would travel by car to prison locations, often in the early hours of the morning, and pilot drones carrying packages through cell windows. Lookouts and drivers assisted Mohseni in the coordinated drops, creating what authorities described as a "serious, organized, and prolific enterprise."
Judge Lofthouse highlighted the particular challenge prison staff faced in combating this method of smuggling. Even when guards witnessed drones making deliveries, staff shortages meant they could only watch through door hatches as "prisoners were stuffing items behind pipes." By the time sufficient personnel were available to conduct searches, the contraband had typically disappeared.
The Investigation and Arrests
Operation Buzzbin, conducted by the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime Command, culminated in the arrests of four gang members on February 26, 2025, as they traveled by car to HMP Norwich. Police had received intelligence that a knife was scheduled for delivery to the prison.
During the arrest, authorities discovered a JD Sports bag containing:
- A drone ready for operation
- Two packages containing phones and cannabis
- A knife intended for smuggling
Financial investigations revealed Mohseni received £26,785 from 14 individuals directly linked to serving prisoners at facilities where he was making deliveries. The court heard he operated at the center of a "web of financial transfers" that distributed payments to his co-conspirators.
Sentencing and Wider Implications
Mohseni, described in court as the "grand delivery driver," received the longest sentence of five years and three months as the conspiracy's leader. His co-defendants received prison terms ranging from 27 to 33 months:
- Hashim Al-Hussaini, 28: 33 months
- Mohammed Hamoud, 22: 33 months
- Zahar Essaghi, 51: 33 months
- Faiz Salah, 29: 31 months
- Mustafa Ibrahim, 30: 30 months
- Emanuel Fisniku, 25: 27 months
All defendants must serve 40% of their sentences before being eligible for release on licence. During sentencing, Judge Lofthouse commended Metropolitan Police officers for their investigative work, including one officer who traveled to the Netherlands and China to secure crucial evidence from drone data records.
The case highlights growing concerns about drone technology's role in prison security breaches. In July 2025, Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned about the increased risk drones pose for smuggling operations, calling for coordinated efforts between the prison service, government, and security services to address this emerging threat through technology and intelligence gathering.
Judge Lofthouse emphasized the corrosive impact of such operations, stating: "Those who conspire for profit to flood our prisons with drugs and mobile phones, and are heedless to whatever else including weapons they smuggle in, facilitate further criminality, and undermine the general running and good order of our prisons."
