Naples, drone with drugs and cell phones chased all the way to the prison: 4 arrests

Yesterday evening, the penitentiary police of the "Giuseppe Salvia" district prison in Naples-Poggioreale thwarted an attempt to deliver illicit items to inmates using a drone. After an initial failed attempt to neutralize the aircraft in flight, the officers decided to follow it to its takeoff point, the roof of a building near the detention facility.

The operation led to the arrest in flagrante delicto of four individuals: three drone pilots and a young man acting as a lookout. The drone's cargo, consisting of 200 grams of drugs, 11 smartphones, and 10 SIM cards, as well as the aircraft itself, described as "sophisticated" and capable of resisting penitentiary administration countermeasures, were seized. A connection between the four and organized crime is not ruled out.

The president and regional secretary of the USPP (Union of Penitentiary Police Unions) expressed appreciation for the professionalism of the officers. The USPP reiterated the need for "structural investments, prevention, and an effective plan" to combat the introduction of illicit materials into prisons.

The attempt to introduce contraband into Italian prisons using drones is a phenomenon that has been growing for several years. This method has become increasingly common because it allows bypassing the traditional physical barriers of penitentiary institutions, reaching directly to cell windows or internal courtyards, often at night or with small, quiet aircraft.

The "Giuseppe Salvia" prison in Poggioreale, Naples, is one of the largest and most problematic penitentiaries in Italy, located in a high-crime-density area. The proximity of residential buildings to the prison complex facilitates these illicit operations, allowing take-offs from very close distances. Camorra clans, deeply rooted in the territory, have a direct interest in maintaining control over illicit activities even within the walls, ensuring communications, management of affairs, and drug trafficking among inmates.

Law enforcement and prison police have responded by developing detection and neutralization systems (such as nets, frequency jammers, or other interception drones), but illicit operators continue to evolve their technology, using more resistant and sophisticated drones. This technological tug-of-war has led to repeated appeals, such as that from the Uspp, for more resources and a structured national plan, highlighting how the problem is not only one of prison security but of broader public order, linked to the power of criminal organizations.