Dozens of new “high-tech” bag scanners are being rolled out across 44 prisons in the UK as part of plans to crack down on drugs and phones behind bars.

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab announced that more than 80 “cutting edge” X-ray machines will be installed by the end of March.

These machines will join existing body scanners, drug-trace machines, and metal detection archways, which the government says have stopped tens of thousands of items from "wreaking havoc inside prisons”.

The Ministry of Justice said that these machines have already stopped a huge amount of illegal contraband from getting into prisons, including: 99 sheets of ‘spice’ paper—worth almost £60,000; nearly £40,000 worth of cannabis and tobacco concealed in curry and beef stew tins; and a bottle of washing-up liquid that tested positive for heroin.

The government department said that the "most challenging” prisons will be the first to use the machines, which include “high-quality” sharp images to detect drugs, phones, and high-density materials.

“These X-ray bag scanners are a powerful addition to the body scanners, drug-trace machines, metal detection archways and extra drug dogs we have added in recent years to keep drugs, mobile phones and other contraband out of our prisons,” said deputy prime minister and justice secretary, Dominic Raab. “This is getting more prisoners off drugs, and helping to keep our streets safer.”

The move comes after the introduction of 75 X-ray body scanners across 74 male prisons, which the government says have disrupted around 20,000 attempts to smuggle drugs and other harmful items into prisons in two years.

In 2022, dozens of prisons also introduced new drug-trace machines that can detect microscopic smears of new psychoactive substances such as ‘spice’ on mail and items of clothing.

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