This is the moment crooks were caught on camera dealing drugs inside prison as the members of a smuggling gang including a corrupt prison officer are jailed.  

Jason Thompson, 34, abused his position at HMP Isis to help an organised crime group ferry cannabis, mobile phones and hundreds of USB sticks – some loaded with TV series, games and pornography – into the prison over a five-month period, earning between £400 and £600 per drop as the key insider. 

Thompson and the others were part of what prosecutor Sam Barker described as a 'well-organised and large conspiracy to smuggle contraband into HMP Isis between February and July 2024'. 

The court were shown video footage from inside the prison which showed their illegal activity taking place in plain site.

In one clip, shared by the Metropolitan Police, one member of the gang Rama Wato can be seen sat across from another member Olusegan Shobanjo. 

Shobanjo, who was a serving prisoner at the time, reaches his hand out and Wato passes him what appears to be a small package. 

Wato, 26, was described as a 'trusted and regular smuggler' who carried out repeated visits and earned around £3,500 for his role. 

The conspiracy  involved at least 18 organised attempts to bring items into the jail, with phone evidence showing there were in fact 28 packages either successfully delivered or attempted.

The operation relied on two main methods; either Thompson physically carrying items through staff entrances, or couriers handing over packages during social visits while trying to avoid detection. 

Thompson had already been working at the prison before Olusegan Shobanjo, 26, entered custody in 2023 after his licence was revoked following a previous sentence in 2019.

The court heard it was not clear whether the pair knew each other beforehand, but their criminal partnership formed rapidly.

A judge said it could not be said that Olusegan had corrupted Thompson, but once linked, the pair quickly became central to the conspiracy.

The plot began in early February 2024 and escalated quickly.

Within days, Thompson was exploiting his access, smuggling items through the prison officers' entrance on February 7.

On 10 February he attempted another drop but had to return some packages because the clingfilm wrapping failed to conceal the smell of cannabis, and on February 14 he brought in 190g but was caught off guard after an additional search was in place. Although he passed through both the guard check and the dogs he got sufficiently worried that he abandoned the packages in a toilet immediately after.

From there, the gang increasingly relied on visitors. On February 3, early attempts were made using social visits, though one courier failed to enter after forgetting who he was meant to see.

On 13 March prison staff intercepted a package of cannabis. Over the following weeks and months, visits continued on multiple dates including April 2, April 20, May 19 and May 30, with further deliveries successfully made. Other attempts failed when couriers arrived late or visits were too closely monitored.

The conspiracy reached its dramatic end on July 27 when courier Rama Wato visited the prison and was seen trying to conceal a package by stuffing it into his mouth, later claiming it was a chocolate bar.

At the centre of the operation was Olusegan Shobanjo, who the prosecution said 'was in overall charge of this conspiracy – it was his operation and he controlled (or was at least aware of) almost every aspect of it.'

He directed others from inside prison, organising deliveries and expressing frustration when those working for him failed to meet his standards. In one instance, he referred to Thompson in crude terms and even demanded money back after his arrest.

His brother Adedayo Shobanjo, 28, and associate Andrew Opoku-Edusei, 28, acted as the organisers on the outside, sourcing cannabis, phones and USB sticks and arranging payments. Banking evidence revealed more than £50,000 passed through an account linked to the conspiracy, with numerous payments traced back to individuals connected to prisoners at HMP Isis, many of them based in north London.

Opoku-Edusei's home was later raided, where officers found more than 3kg of cannabis packaged for sale, cocaine, £8,400 in cash, scales and a quantity of ammunition including dozens of bullets.

Wato, 26, was described as a 'trusted and regular smuggler' who carried out repeated visits and earned around £3,500 for his role. Other couriers included Jacques Hamilton, 23, who was caught passing nearly 80 grams of cannabis, and Arian Kaseb, 21, who made unsuccessful attempts to smuggle drugs and up to 30 USB devices.

Inside the prison, Prince Kunado-Dwomoh, 27, and Nathan Adjei, 26, played key roles distributing the drugs once they arrived, effectively acting as dealers within the jail. Prosecutors said they were 'in short, cannabis dealers who were housed inside HMP Isis.' Kunado-Dwomoh had already been serving a sentence for drug offences since 2021, which is how he came to be inside during the conspiracy.

The scale of the operation was significant. The court heard it likely involved several kilograms of cannabis, with packages typically containing 'slabs' of around 100 grams, alongside hundreds - possibly up to 1,000 - USB sticks loaded with entertainment and pornographic material. The introduction of such large quantities of illicit items into a prison, the judge noted, created obvious risks and disorder.

Crucially, much of the evidence came from recorded prison phone calls. Although inmates knew calls were monitored, they spoke openly about their activities. PC George Gorman spent hundreds of hours listening to the calls, producing detailed transcripts that provided what the court described as a fair and accurate account of the conspiracy.

The gang's downfall began after police launched an investigation in 2024, gathering phone evidence, CCTV and financial records before carrying out coordinated arrests across London.

Thompson admitted conspiracy to convey prohibited items into prison and misconduct in a public office and was jailed for four years and six months.

Olusegan Shobanjo was jailed for five years for the conspiracy. Andrew Opoku-Edusei was sentenced to a total of four years and six months. Rama Wato was jailed for two years and 10 months for the conspiracy, and Prince Kunado-Dwomoh was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, while Nathan Adjei received two years and six months.

Adedayo Shobanjo was granted bail until Tuesday ahead of sentencing.

Detective Inspector John Cowell said: 'The members of this gang, which included a member of prison staff, believed they were able to bypass the law and outsmart both the police and prison authorities.

'What they did not realise was that officers had identified the conspiracy early on and were already building a case that would ultimately bring them to justice.'

Stephen Forde, Deputy Governor at HMP Isis, added: 'This sentence shows how seriously the courts view corruption by those in positions of authority, and should serve as a clear deterrent to anyone considering smuggling contraband into our prisons.'