Dutch Prison Service Cleared to Disable Drones at High‑Security Jails

Overview

• The amended geweldinstructie takes effect on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 and gives the Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen (DJI) the power to disrupt or bring down drones near extra‑secured units such as EBI Vught.
• Authorities say the move is meant to shorten response times because prisons previously had to wait for police or Defence before acting against threatening drones.
• Officials cite growing use of drones to deliver phones, drugs and weapons and to scout or aid escape attempts as the key security risk the new power seeks to address.
• DJI and the Ministry stress safety and proportionality, will not disclose disruption techniques for security reasons, and expect actual takedowns to be rare and used only when necessary.
• Prisons already employ radar detection and follow‑up search protocols; reported 2023 finds nationwide included about 100 mobile phones and roughly 10 kilograms of drugs, showing the broader smuggling problem the policy targets.