Drone smuggling has led to a "step change" in the illicit drugs trade behind bars in Scotland, according to the jails watchdog.<br /><br />HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, said that prisoners and staff at HMP Perth had raised concerns over drug use, with some inmates having extreme reactions to synthetic drugs and new forms of benzodiazepines.<br /><br />In a separate incident, a drone that crashed in the grounds of HMP Edinburgh was found to contain ceramic knives, drugs, mobile phones, and items with a prison value of £75,000.<br /><br />The Scottish Prison Service said it welcomed the report and praised the "strong management" and "committed" staff working at HMP Perth.<br /><br />The disclosure comes after it emerged that criminals in Scottish prisons are becoming "aggressive and violent" amid a new wave of psychoactive drugs being smuggled into cells.<br /><br />Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay called on SNP ministers to "admit the scale of the problem and give frontline prison staff the support they need".
