Two arrested after 'drug-soaked' letters sent to prisons for 'inmates to smoke' including Lancaster Farms

Letters containing sheets of paper soaked in a solution of synthetic drugs such as mamba or spice were posted to 10 prisons, police said.

The letters were intended for inmates who it is thought would tear off strips of the A4 lined paper to smoke.

Nearly 30 letters were recovered after prison security staff noticed the paper was discoloured and tinged around the edges.

Det Insp Tom Bowman, from the Prison Intelligence Unit at West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit said: "Tests have shown the sheets of paper had been soaked in a solution of water and synthetic cannabinoid before likely being oven-dried.

"The sheets of paper were concealed inside envelopes claiming to contain private and confidential material, such as legal documents, in the hope they wouldn't be open to the same level of scrutiny as personal mail."

The letters were sent between July 2019 and November 2021 to HMPs Birmingham, Hewell, Featherstone, Oakwood, Brinsford, Whitemoor, Ranby, Swinfen Hall and Lancaster Farms.

The force linked the letters having spotted similarities of handwriting and common spelling mistakes.

Two men, aged 41 and 33, were arrested following a raid at an address in Bilston, Wolverhampton on Wednesday (December 8).

Police seized a drone and several micro mobile phones hidden under a kitchen plinth, which are often smuggled into prisons.

Officers also recovered several litres of solvent which is used in the drug dissolving process.

"The supply of drugs into prisons causes serious issues for the prison service in terms of the violence or health concerns of prisoners who take these substances," Det Insp Tom Bowman added.

"This case shows that offenders will use increasingly innovative methods to try and smuggle drugs and other banned items into prison - but working with the prison service we are determined to stop the supply and put offenders behind bars."

Prisons Minister Victoria Atkins said: "These arrests demonstrate the importance of our £100m investment in prison security measures - not just letter scanners but X-ray body scanners, drugs dogs, and other detection equipment.

"These all help us to clamp down on the drugs that fuel violence in our jails, and I commend our excellent prison staff and police colleagues for their vigilance in this case."

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