Drugs have been smuggled into prisons around the world for many years, it's nothing new. But using drones in order to smuggle those drugs into the facility, is a new and apparently growing trend in various places.
A number of prison facilities have had issues with drones flying over their yards and allegedly bringing drugs, porn, cellphones, and other items to inmates.
Drone smuggling efforts have been documented in a number of countries: Ireland, Greece, Russia, Brazil, Australia, the U.S., Switzerland, and other areas.
This has given rise to anti-drone technology systems like Drone Shield, which was created to act as a drone detection device that would help in fending off these drones from being able to deliver the various items.
DroneShield is said to already be working with a number of prisons around the U.S., and some in Europe, in order to try and implement a system with efficient countermeasures that are going to be able to intercept these flying devices.
Guernsey Prison in the UK has also just recently tested out another anti-drone system known as Sky Fence. This system is able to detect and block drones from entering the property, by establishing a 600m shield around the perimeter of the prison.
The system uses a number of disruptors in order to block the incoming drone's frequency and control protocols.
The new Sky Fence was created by Drone Defence and Eclipse Digital Solutions. And the system costs around $300,000 USD.
If it proves effective, perhaps the police will see the inmates resort back to their old smuggling methods, now that their seemingly convenient drop-off option is becoming a little more difficult to carry out.
Sky Fence and Drone Shield aren't the only options in this space either, there's also Dedrone which is another drone security platform currently being used at a prison in New York.
There are tens of millions of dollars being invested into this space right now and it likely won't take very long before a majority of the prison facilities in the U.S. are equipped with some sort of anti-drone system like this.
Pics:
Pixabay
Drone Defence/SWNS
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/prisons-try-to-stop-drones-from-delivering-drugs-porn-and-cellphones-to-inmates/2016/10/12/645fb102-800c-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html?utm_term=.ab034228c0b1
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/drones-smugglers-newest-way-prison/
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/us/prison-yard-drone-drugs-ohio/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/3573637/british-prison-tests-out-system-to-stop-drones-smuggling-drugs-and-weapons-over-the-perimeter-fence/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/16/british-prison-first-use-disruptor-create-drone-proof-shield/