Drones Bring Drugs and Mobile Phones into Palma Prison

Drones Over the Prison: A New Routine for Palma Prison

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In recent months, something unpleasant has entered Palma's nightly soundscape: the soft whirring of rotors as drones drift over the prison. Local staff report that increasingly small drones drop drug packages and mobile phones toward the windows of certain cells. What at first seemed like a one-time action has, according to insiders, developed into a recurring problem.

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The Balearic Islands' Public Prosecutor's Office mentions the phenomenon in its latest report—and that won't surprise anyone here: since 2023, officials have observed systematic flights lasting multiple nights in a row. Once a transport crashed; the package was visibly damaged. Fortunately there was no major chaos, but the message is clear: this is not random but planned.

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Guards tell me that the devices are being steered toward specific windows. "You see the lights, you hardly hear anything, and suddenly they're there," says an employee who wishes to remain anonymous. Such deliveries change daily life behind the walls: drugs, extra mobile phones — meaning more control, more stress, and for some inmates an extension of illegal communication outward.

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So far, authorities rely mainly on strict controls at visits: sniffer dogs, thorough searches, and in some cases visiting bans. That helps at the gate, but against remotely piloted small drones it's like a band-aid for a roof leak. There are technical proposals—from radar detection to nets to jammers—but much of it is expensive, legally complicated, or not permissible in urban spaces.

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Locally, unconventional ideas are also being discussed: more lighting around the area, mobile teams during night hours, and residents should report suspicious noises. Practically, opinions are divided: some colleagues advocate immediate investments, others warn of side effects and high costs.

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What remains is uncertainty. The authority speaks of a growing challenge that shows how quickly new technology undermines old security concepts. For families outside and staff inside, that means increased vigilance and a long road to sensible countermeasures.

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When walking at night on the outskirts of Palma, you sometimes hear the distant hum. It is a small sound — but one that signals big problems if no one acts against it.