Six arrested after suspected drone plot to smuggle contraband into prison

Six men have been arrested after a suspected attempt to use drones to smuggle contraband into a prison on the Isle of Sheppey was uncovered.

Officers were called at 1.43am on Sunday 8 November 2026 following a report of a burglary at a nearby cricket club. During an area search, they located a suspicious vehicle and detained a man who was inside. A second suspect was then found hiding in the back garden of a nearby property and was also detained.

As enquiries continued, officers discovered an abandoned drone in a field, believed to have been used in an attempt to drop contraband into the prison.

Nearby, they recovered packages bound in tights with hooks attached containing suspected drugs and mobile phones.

A short time later, patrols in nearby Squires Court stopped a suspicious car.

One man was found in the driver's seat while another was discovered in the boot. Both were detained and officers recovered a further package bound in tights containing mobile phones from beneath the vehicle.

Two more men were subsequently stopped in Eastchurch High Street and arrested on suspicion of being involved in the operation.

Five men, aged 21, 23, 23, 25 and 30, from London, and a 24 year old man from Birmingham, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to convey prohibited items into a prison.

They have since been released on bail while enquiries continue.