INFO EUROPE 1 - The worrying increase in drone overflights over French prisons

William Molinié 06h22, February 07, 2023

A practice that worries the prison administration.

According to information from Europe 1, prison establishments noted a worrying increase in the number of drone overflights of French prisons last year.

Overflights for deliveries of drugs and prohibited items in detention or even scouting for a possible escape.

In some cases, the drone is simply lost.

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Generalization with containment

According to a recent report brought to the attention of Europe 1, 68 facts were recorded in 2022, compared to 37 in 2021. An increase of nearly 85% over one year while the previous figures were rather stable: 39 in 2020, 40 in 2019. In detail, overflights for deliveries of prohibited items in detention (telephone, drugs, weapons) have exploded.

Five deliveries were recorded in 2021 compared to 29 last year, an increase of nearly 500% over one year.

“It was especially generalized with the confinement”, testified an anonymous source to Europe 1. Between March 17 and May 11, 2020, during the first confinement, 15 facts had been identified over the period.

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Remote deliveries by Snapchat

The practice was then strengthened and professionalized.

One of the last outstanding cases is that of the prison of Sequedin.

Last June, several cases of deliveries of narcotics, telephones and even pieces of hacksaws were intercepted by the supervisors.

The investigation brought to light real remote delivery traffic via a drone that allowed inmates to place orders through the Snapchat social network.

To deal with these flying objects, the prison administration has invested since the end of 2021 in detection and jamming equipment.

But to date, only about fifteen detention centres, out of 187, have this type of tool.