Mamba and Spice drugs-laced ‘letters’ bound for UK prisons seized and arrests made

Mamba and Spice drugs-laced ‘letters’ bound for UK prisons seized and arrests made


A series of the letters had been posted to 10 prisons across the UK.

Mamba and Spice drug-laced ‘letters’ bound for prisons across the UK have been seized and arrests made.

Officers from West Midlands Police Prisons Intelligence Unit made two arrests as part of investigations into plots to smuggle drugs to inmates across the UK.

The two men, who are both from Wolverhampton, were arrested this week in connection with a series of letters posted to HMPs Birmingham, Hewell, Featherstone, Oakwood, Brinsford, Whitemoor, Ranby, Swinfen Hall and Lancaster Farms between July 2019 and November this year.

Each of the ‘letters’ contained sheets of writing paper soaked in a solution of synthetic drugs such as mamba or spice.

Some of the letters were intercepted by prison security staff who noticed suspicious discolouration around the edges of the paper.

The men, aged aged 41 and aged 33, were arrested during dawn raids at two addresses in Wolverhampton.

Officers seized several litres of solvent used in the drug dissolving process, a drone and several ‘micro’ mobile phones.

‘Innovative methods to try and smuggle drugs’

Detective Inspector Tom Bowman, from the Prison Intelligence Unit at West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tests have shown the sheets of paper had been soaked in a solution of water and synthetic cannabinoid before likely being oven-dried.

“The sheets of paper were concealed inside envelopes claiming to contain private and confidential material, such as legal documents, in the hope they wouldn’t be open to the same level of scrutiny as personal mail. https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coventrytelegraph.net%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fmamba-spice-drugs-laced-letters-22414180&cre=mr-bottom&cip=1&view=web&ignoreMetaDataCheck=true&subType=news_story&tags=West%20Midlands%20Police

“The supply of drugs into prisons causes serious issues for the prison service in terms of the violence or health concerns of prisoners who take these substances.

“This case shows that offenders will use increasingly innovative methods to try and smuggle drugs and other banned items into prison – but working with the prison service we are determined to stop the supply and put offenders behind bars.”