The government is doing too little to combat the use of drones delivering drugs, mobile phones and weapons to prisons, putting wardens lives at risk, NU.nl reports.

Prison wardens are put in danger and criminals can continue their criminal activities unhindered, something which the government should put a stop to immediately, union FNV told the news platform.

There were 3,948 known incidents in which contraband was smuggled into prisons in  2020 but there is no record of how many of these involved drones. The FNV said the problem is growing and that most incidents go undiscovered.

In some prisons attempts to drop contraband by drone are a daily occurrence, a spokesman for the union told Nu.nl. Nets, no-fly zones for drones and trained birds of prey should be urgently considered, the FNV said.

The lack of action has prompted a number of prisons to come up with their own measures. The prison in Alphen aan den Rijn, for example, has installed a metal construction to prevent drones delivering contraband.

A yoghurt pack containing mobile phones was recently dropped successfully inside the prison premises although wardens were able to intercept the package.

The justice ministry said it is carrying out tests to repel drones via technical means and that it will evaluate them ‘this year’.