Watch as £300k prison drone drug smuggling gang brought down after M6 chase in Lancashire
Police footage has captured the dramatic moment officers chased down a drug smuggler on the M6 in Lancashire - uncovering a £300,000 prison drone operation that flew drugs and phones into jails across the North West.
The video shows officers pursuing Curtis Carney, 36, of Coton Way, Kirkby, after a package wrapped in grass was hurled from his car window.
The bundle - later recovered by police - was found to contain drugs and mobile phones. A drone was also discovered in the boot.
Carney’s arrest marked a key breakthrough in a 10-month investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), working with Lancashire Police, Merseyside Police and the Prison Service.
Carney and his associate, Robert Stoba, 26, of no fixed abode, were jailed on October 21 for a combined total of nine years and ten months at Liverpool Crown Court for conspiring to smuggle contraband into prisons using drones.
Detectives said the pair were behind more than 50 drone flights into six prisons - including HMP Liverpool, Altcourse, Hindley, Wymott, Garth and Deerbolt - delivering drugs, phones and other banned items.
In total, officers seized 11 drones and recovered drugs with a street value of up to £38,000, rising to an estimated £295,000 inside prison due to inflated demand.
Carney was first arrested in June 2024 on the M6 when the drugs package was thrown from his car.
He was arrested again in October near HMP Liverpool, this time with two drones and several drug-filled packages inside the vehicle.
Investigators linked him to further successful drone drops into HMP Liverpool.
Carney was described by police as playing a “leading role” in the conspiracy and has been issued with a Serious Crime Prevention Order, banning him from using drones or mobile phones for five years after his release.
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Clegg, from the NWROCU, said: “This case highlights the evolving tactics of organised crime groups and the importance of regional collaboration.
“This operation brought together intelligence and resources from across the North West to dismantle a sophisticated network exploiting drone technology to breach prison security.”
Emma Thompson, Head of the Corruption, Crime and Policing Unit for HMPPS, added: “As this case shows, anyone trying to smuggle contraband into our jails will feel the full force of the law - and we will use every power available to disrupt their criminal activity.”