Georgia busts 150 in huge drone contraband prison operation

Led by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC), raids Thursday netted 146 suspects accused of working in a huge gang-related operation spiriting a variety of contraband into prisons around the state. Launched in November 2022, “Operation Skyhawk” has intercepted drugs, weapons, phones, and other banned objects either being flown into jails, or discovered in caches following aerial drops. 

An indication of just how massive the prison black markets being fed by drones are became apparent by the number of supplier flights picked off before deliveries could be completed – presumably a small minority of the mostly successful total.

“We stopped roughly 170 prison drops during the course of the investigation,” GDC Special Agent Gregg Phillips told TV station WSB Atlanta, whose film crew was clearly invited to film Thursday’s busts. “We’ve arrested 146 individuals associated with contraband drops. Out of those, eight of them are correctional officers, or were.”

Officials say in following the trace of what had become increasingly frequent drone deliveries of contraband to state prisons, they eventually uncovered the largest criminal activity of its kind in Georgia. 

As part of their sweeping RICO investigation, authorities say they turned up 51 lbs. of what is thought to be meth, as well as large quantities of other drugs, 22 guns, and other banned objects.

One of the focal points of yesterday’s arrests was a UAV repair business called Thunder Drones, whose owner is accused of having worked with various members of the criminal networks behind the activity. 

The small company, whose signage indicates it mostly works on DJI craft, was emptied of over 50 drones police impounded as evidence, including a couple heavy-lift agricultural models stored at the owner’s home.

The value of seized contraband alone was estimated at $7 million, with the drone drop operation thought to span several states. Georgia, with a giant prison population of 47,000 people, was believed to be the main area of that activity.

Image: Hedi Benyounes/Unsplash