FOUR members of an organised crime gang have been jailed for their part in smuggling drugs into Parc Prison uring drones.

South Wales police said that back on May 11, 2023, they received a report from HMP Parc that a package had been dropped within the prison walls by a drone .

Officers conducted inquiries and quickly identified a car that was in the location of the prison at the time of the package drop and found that it was still in the area.  The car was tracked and subsequently stopped. The driver of the car was Lucy Adcock, 47.  When the car was searched officers found a drone and her mobile phone.  Lucy was arrested on suspicion of conveying a prohibited article into the prison and was taken into custody.

During digital forensic examination of the drone, it was established that the drone, as well as having been had been used for used to convey articles into HMP Parc, had been operated for another 23 drone incursions across six different prisons within the UK.   

Detective Sergeant Lia Jones, Officer in the Case, gives more detail: “Whilst looking through Lucy Adock’s phone we were able to identify four other people who we believed were responsible for working with her to convey prohibited articles into other prisons in the UK.

“It took a little bit of time but, in June 2023 we sent an arrest team up to Essex and London where we managed to locate and arrest four further suspects.  Their phones were seized, and we were able to overlay information to identify that all four had been involved in piloting drone into prisons. 

Our drug experts believe that almost £1.6 million pounds worth of prohibited items may have been conveyed into prisons over a 4-week period.

Those sentenced this week were.

• Lucy Adcock, 47, currently in Eastwood Park Woman’s Prison – sentenced to six years for conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List’ A’ prohibited article into a prison and conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List ‘B’ prohibited article into a prison. 

• Craig John Davenport, 46, from Carisbrooke Avenue, Clacton on Sea, Essex – sentenced to four years and nine months for conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List’ A’ prohibited article into a prison and conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List B prohibited article into a prison. 

• Ryan Dorland, 44, currently in HMP Brixton – sentenced to four years for conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List’ A’ prohibited article into a prison and conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List ‘B’ prohibited article into a prison. 

• Nicola Ogle, 43, from Nayland Drive, Clacton on Sea, Essex – sentenced to two years and six months for conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List’ A’ prohibited article into a prison and conspiring to bring/throw/convey a List ‘B’ prohibited article into a prison. 

Detective Inspector Ian Jones added: “It’s the first investigation we’ve identified in South Wales where we can say an organised crime group (OCG) are involved in conveying articles within prison using drones.  We quickly identified that Lucy Adcock was the principal member of this OCG from reviewing her mobile phone. It was clear that is she wasn’t flying the drone herself she was in communication with the other members of the OCG and orchestrating each drone incursion.

“We have seen other examples of drones being used in isolation for a drop, and usually we can show there’s contact between whoever’s flying that drone to somebody within the prison.  This investigation showed us that this was an OCG, and they were out almost every other day flying or piloting a drone into a prison to convey prohibited articles such as drugs, mobile phones and SIM cards which is a current issue within prisons across the UK.

“This investigation, and the consequent sentencing, shows that we will relentlessly pursue criminals who look to utilise drones to convey articles into prison.  By our proactive approach to targeting those who fly the drones into prison we are sending send out the message that we will look to prosecute and convict those responsible.”