For the first time in the UK, two drones smuggling drugs into jails have been reportedly shot down using ultra powerful torches by British prison officials in two separate incidents.
Drones are being used to smuggle drugs and booze into prisons.
Two separate incidents at a London and Birmingham jail have become the first successful cases of intercepting such devices using powerful torches, according to 'The Sun' reported.
In Birmingham, at a prison run privately by security firm G4S, an officer dazzled a drone using an ultra powerful Dragon Light torch.
The Chinese made DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone went out of control and crashed to the ground. The aircraft has a hi-tech camera and feeds back instant video to the drone operator. It is believed the torch blinded the operator and he lost track of the drone's position.
A source told the newspaper, "It was a bit like the blitz when a search light picked up an enemy aircraft. The Dragon Light is a powerful torch and it seems the person controlling the drone lost control".
The incident at the category B, medium security jail, took place on May 25.
Officers raided a cell on A wing the next day and recovered a mobile and legal high drugs.
An internal memo stated, "At 00:35 hrs, the night orderly officer investigating a buzzing noise from outside A wing discovered a drone flying outside the cells windows. The officer shone a dragon torch light at the UMA and the it fell to the ground".
G4S Director for HMP Birmingham, Pete Small said, "Thanks to the vigilance and quick thinking of our team this drone was spotted and action taken to bring it down. Like every prison in the country, it is a constant challenge to keep contraband out and we regularly brief the team at HMP Birmingham about the risks that drones pose to our regime.
"We will always push for the strongest sanctions in court against anyone who seeks to undermine our regime or compromise safety of prisoners and staff in our care".
In an earlier incident at the Pentonville prison in north London, a drone was "disabled" whilst flying over the Victorian era jail.
"Prison staff at HMP Pentonville recovered a drone on prison grounds on Thursday 19th May. This incident is now being investigated by police," a Prison Service spokesperson said.
