Jamal Mahmoud, a 21-year-old inmate of Somali descent was murdered at Pentonville prison in a battle to control a contraband route within the prison. His cell was located on the top floor of the prison wing, giving him access to prohibited drugs, weapons and mobile phones which were delivered by drone. Jurors were told that he was murdered by three other inmates because of a package of phones, SIM cards, and a knife.

Jamal Mahmoud had just become a father and was part of a group known as The Somalis. He had previously declared war on other inmates who had threatened him with a large combat knife. His was killed by a group of men who armed themselves and went after him—it was calculated and extremely brutal.

The alleged killers – 31-year-old Robert Butler, 35-year-old Basana Kimbembi, and 27-year-old Joshua Ratner – were allowed out of their cells even though the prison authorities were aware of the looming trouble.

The prosecutor for the case, Mark Heywood QC, noted that the attack which took place on October 18th, 2016 and was a huge shock to the other inmates at the facility. He renounced the act and narrated the level of brutality used in perpetrating the crime.

He stated that the defendants murdered Mr. Mahmoud to “make their point” and take control of part of the lucrative contraband section of the prison. It was in mid-October of 2016 that a major dispute developed over this access, the jurors heard.

This is not the first time drones have been used in committing grievous offenses.

Last year, UK police investigated a series of criminal reports involving mini-drones. These allegations included reports that they were being used to spy through bedroom windows, as a scoping tool for burglars, and even to steal PIN numbers at cash points.

The number of incidents reported to the UK police in 2016 rose by 352% as the public became increasingly aware of these machines. This is a reflection of the massive uptake of unmanned aerial systems that are outfitted with cameras.

One notable incident recorded in Northern Ireland last year, showed a drone purportedly being used to film a cash point at Templepatrick as customers entered their pin codes. Witnesses told the police that the when they spotted the drone, it flew off immediately and crashed into a taxi. A male suspect was forced to pay the taxi driver some undisclosed amount. Unfortunately, officers were unable to prove that the drone’s footage was taken with criminal intent.

As drone technologies advance, we need to create a clear-cut line between criminal intent and tech usage. Now that criminals are beginning to use drones for their illicit activities, governments and law enforcement agencies must increase their adoption and usage of drone to ensure that the masses are safe from any criminal intent.