A couple have been jailed for using drones to smuggle thousands of pounds worth of drugs and mobile phones into UK prisons.

Sajad Hashimi and his wife Zerka Maranay made more than 100 drone drops into 11 jails and young offenders' institutions.

Footage from one smuggling operation shows a drone hovering over a prison at night while lowering mobile phones on a fishing line.

Drone pilot Hashimi, 27, flew his DJI Phantom 4 into prisons on 78 dates between August 2022 and October last year.

At least 72 of the drone drops took place at HMP Onley in Warwickshire over 39 dates.

Maranay, 28, assisted Hashmini by hiring at least 20 cars costing around of £17,000.

They used drones at HMP Onley over 70 times (image via SWNS)

The prisons targeted included Onley, The Mount, Maidstone, High Down, Guys Marsh, Garth, Wormwood Scrubs, Highpoint, Downview YOI, Brixton and Edinburgh.

A court heard Maranay used her bank account to launder nearly £50,000, which her husband had been paid for piloting the drones.

The couple, of Camden, London, were arrested last October after police launched an investigation following a spike in drone drops at HMP Onley.

Detectives discovered Hashimi was already under investigation for similar offences by the Metropolitan Police.

Officers searched the couple's home on August 3 last year and found a drone along with cocaine and cannabis.

Hashimi pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs into prisons and conspiring to convey List B prohibited articles into prisons.

Maranay admitted conspiring to convey prohibited articles into prisons and money laundering.

Hashimi's crimes were discovered after he crashed his drone inside a prison (image via SWNS)

On Monday (29 April) Hashmini was jailed for a total of six years at Northampton Crown Court while Maranay was sentenced to 15 months.

Hashimi's crimes were discovered after he crashed his white DJI Phantom 4 drone in the grounds of HMP Highpoint in Suffolk on July 4, 2023.

Fishing line and hooks had been attached to the drone with a package containing heroin, steroids, chargers, tobacco, SIM cards and mobile phones, worth £19,500.

Data from the crashed drone confirmed it had been responsible for 62 flights on 34 dates and seven different prison sites between January 3 and June 3 last year.

Despite crashing the drone, Hashimi acquired another one and continued flying packages into prisons.

The court heard that on August 17 last year Kent Police attended HMP Maidstone following reports of a drone flying over the prison.

A Nissan Qashqai, which had been hired by Maranay the previous day, was found by officers parked nearby.

Officers stopped Hashimi in the area and discovered he had the vehicle's key.

Multiple packages have been recovered from prisons following the drops (image by SWNS)

A search of the car recovered numerous drugs packages while a drone and controller were found hidden under a nearby van.

Hashimi was arrested and later bailed for being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs.

Data from the seized drone revealed that between June 15 and August 17 it had made 38 flights across 34 dates at seven prisons.

Multiple packages were recovered from inside prison grounds and the value of the cannabis alone was estimated to be between £29,450 and £74,970.

Detective Inspector Carrie Powers, of Northamptonshire Police SOCT, said: "This has been a very complex, detailed investigation and the largest of its kind for our Force and I would like to express my personal thanks to the team for their hard work."

Prisons and Probation Minister Edward Argar added: "Our beefed-up anti-drone no-fly zones – along with drug detection dogs and airport-style security – are helping us lock up organised criminals and crack down on drugs behind bars."