A man has been jailed for more than two years after being caught throwing a number of prohibited items into HMP Forest Bank. Demaine York lobbed parcels containing items such as drugs, mobile phones, tobacco and screwdrivers, over the prison walls.
York, 25, was caught on April 3 last year, when plain clothes officers were deployed into the wooded area around the jail in an operation titled 'Dragonfire'. Officers watched as York got off the back of a motorbike, collected two parcels and made his way to the perimeter wall. CCTV then captured him throwing the packages them into the exercise yard.
The motorbike rider who brought York to the woods 'panicked' and abandoned him once he realised that police were there, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. York tried to escape but was caught and arrested shortly after. He was subsequently searched and was found to have a piece of tin foil in his pocket containing a small amount of cannabis for which he was also arrested.
A mobile phone and £146 cash were also seized. As York refused to provide comment or the passcode of his mobile phone, police say it took several months to gain access to it but a download report eventually revealed that he was heavily involved in several further throw overs. Police intelligence suggests throwers receive an average of £150 per visit.
Prison officers managed to intercept the parcels thrown by York on April 3 2021 and they were found to contain cannabis, spice infused paper, three mobile phones with charging cables, tobacco and two screwdrivers - a specialist police drugs valuator then valued these items as being worth around £7,000 inside prison.
York, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Monday October 17) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to convey List A and B articles into prison.
GMP described York's sentence as the "latest success" in relation to Operation Dragonfire - a multi-agency operation to fight the illegal conveyance of items. The investigating detective said: “GMP, North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, HM Prison and Probation Service and HMP Forest Bank continue to work closely together to proactively stop the ingress of drugs and phones into our prisons.
"These items put prison officers’ safety at risk, fuel violence and reduce chances of prisoner rehabilitation. Offenders involved in throwing parcels over are warned that you will be caught, and you will go to prison yourself.”
Anyone with information about this type of crime should contact Greater Manchester Police quoting Operation Dragonfire via gmp.police.uk, 101 or the independent charity - Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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