The Instagram page was called “trick_a_screw” and was a thinly veiled reference to tricking prison guards. (Image: Getty)
Experts have warned that criminal gangs are using legal loopholes and common items to smuggle WiFi devices and drugs into prisons, leaving prison authorities “embarrassed”.
The Instagram page shows inmates being provided with large amounts of equipment and drugs hidden in privileged legal documents to provide them with a “better lifestyle” inside the prison.
WiFi dongles, gaming consoles and smart TVs have been advertised as secretly kept inside alarm clocks, beard trimmers and DVD players to fool prison guards.
Crime experts say these devices can be used to contact external associates and organize possible assassinations and kidnappings in “real Italian business” situations.
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And by being in prison when a potential crime is committed, inmates are said to have a “perfect alibi” that they were not involved.
The Instagram page, dubbed “trick_a_screw” in a vague reference to tricking prison guards, is said to have been running for two-and-a-half years before the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) took the online service seriously. ing.
The smuggling ring is currently being investigated by the Ministry of Justice and at least one police force, according to an investigation by local news sites.
But after the prison smuggling page was shut down by Instagram, another nearly identical account was opened.
Smugglers posted videos on social media platforms advertising their goods as being used to prove their credentials inside prison cells.
Dave McKelvey, a former Metropolitan police detective who now runs a private investigation firm, said: “The embarrassment this will cause to prisons and police forces is immeasurable.
“Criminals can organize gang attacks, assassinations and kidnappings inside prison cells.
“It’s like a real-life Italian job, where Mr. Bridger, a crime boss, authorizes a robbery from inside a prison.”
The Instagram account “trick_a_screw” (a “screw” is slang for a prison guard) boasted of its ability to sneak contraband past prison officials.
One post explains: “We’re here to trick the screws to cheat the system. To sneak into the prison and do something to get a better life in prison.
“Most things can be sourced, so if you can’t find it, just ask and we’ll see how we can connect you.”
The page also boasts of providing “quality work and customer service” and features a photo of piles of packages waiting to be shipped, with the caption “Over $10,000 invested.” did.
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Instagram, which blocked the smuggler’s original account, declined to comment. (Image: Getty)
The gang ostensibly hides WiFi connectors, called dongles, inside seemingly mundane items, allowing inmates to secretly communicate with the outside world while confined in their cells.
Video taken inside the cell showed prisoners plugging a controlled alarm clock into a TV, turning it into a smart TV with access to communication services such as WhatsApp and Instagram.
Gadgets advertised on the page included an alarm clock with Wi-Fi for £350. A beard clipper with Wi-Fi costs £400. DVD player with WiFi costs £1,200. WiFi and stereo with camera for £1,500. ‘Xbox One Inside Stereo Plus Android & Dongle’ costs £2,000.
The page also defended its prices in another post, saying, “The prices of my products reflect the service you receive with me,” and that the device was detected while searching for a cell phone. He said it was unlikely that it would happen.
Smugglers also take advantage of loopholes in the law to supply the addictive mind-altering drug “Spice.”
The group advertised ‘spice sheets’ – sheets of paper said to have been soaked in drugs and dried – for £30 each, or £100 for four.
Almost half of all unnatural deaths in prisons in England and Wales between 2015 and 2020 involved dangerous drugs, according to Middlesex University in London.
The smugglers claimed they could smuggle in up to 50 spice sheets at a time, along with electrical items or by mailing them under the guise of privileged legal correspondence.
Under so-called Rule 39, prisoners are entitled to legal communications and can only be intercepted if the prison has reason to believe it is fake or poses a security risk.
Mr McKelvey, who has spent 20 years destroying organized crime syndicates, admitted:
“They are using material that is supposedly legally privileged and cannot be intercepted. Legislation would need to be changed to prevent that.
“In this day and age, organized crime is carried out through smartphones and devices.
“If people are smuggling these devices, criminals can continue their criminal activities from prison.
“They are in a situation where not only can they continue to commit crimes, but they also have a perfect alibi.
“Their get-out-of-jail-free card literally says, ‘I was locked up in jail at the time.’
“Organized crime and criminals are adapting to the situation, and law enforcement is often months or years behind what’s actually happening, so they’re always playing catch-up.”
The smuggling ring is currently being investigated by the Ministry of Justice’s Digital Media Investigation Bureau, which said it had thwarted more than 46,000 smuggling attempts, but did not say in what period of time. do not have.
A prison authority spokesperson said: “We do not tolerate the use of drugs or mobile phones in prison and those found in possession will be sentenced to extended prison sentences.”
Instagram blocked the smuggler’s original account shortly after the Ministry of Justice launched an investigation, but declined to comment.
However, Smuggler soon came back online as “Trick a Screw 2”.
Investigators discovered that he also shared an email from Instagram saying his old account had been blocked to prove to customers that he was wearing the same outfit.
“We see situations like this every day,” said McKelvey, who now runs the private research firm TM Eye.
He added that the only way to stop smugglers is to identify and prosecute them, but so far neither social media sites nor law enforcement are willing to do so.
“We work with many websites that sell counterfeit medicines,” McKenry continued.
“They can go down and be back up and running again literally within hours.
“There doesn’t seem to be any active effort by social media companies or even the police to actually address these issues.
“There’s no point in just cleaning things up. We have to identify the culprits, identify the crimes they committed, and prosecute them.
“That’s the only way to solve this problem.”
