Charlie Adifiyi was sentenced to three years in jail, after the drone he was using to try and smuggle drugs into Pentonville was captured by a police officer.

Islington resident Charlie Adifiyi was sentenced to three years in jail, after the drone he was using to try and smuggle drugs into Pentonville was captured by a police officer.

The incident took place August 2016, when officers were carrying out a plain clothes operation named ‘Operation Airborne’.

During the operation a drone was sighted on CCTV flying towards the prison.

Once in the area, an officer jumped out of an unmarked police car and grabbed the drone at 03:12 a.m.

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A plastic bag attached to the drone was found to be carrying 118 grams of cannabis, two mobile phones and 71.7 grams of a psychoactive substance.

No suspect was immediately identified, but 21-year-old Adifiyi was linked to the scene through DNA.

A search of his home address in September found 476g of the psychoactive substance, which had a prison value of £38,000.

Adifiyi was charged with breaking three prison acts and one charge of possession with intent to supply psychoactive substance.

Adifiyi pleaded guilty to all charges, and was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Blackfriars Crown Court at 3:34 p.m. yesterday afternoon.

Commenting on the incident, Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah, said: “I am determined to stem the flow of drugs into our prisons, and I want to pay tribute to the staff at HMP Pentonville and the police for preventing this haul from entering the prison system and undermining the stability and order at the jail.

“This conviction should send a strong message to others who may attempt to do the same; we will find you and put you behind bars.”

Janet Akinte, also appeared alongside Adefiyi but charges against her were dropped by prosecutors.

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