Prison officer allegedly plotted to smuggle drugs into HMP Brixton

A female prison officer is accused of a drug smuggling plot she allegedly cooked up with two inmates in a London jail.

Shannon Day, 24, of Sydenham, southeast London, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday with alleged accomplices Bertil Baluba, 34, and Mark McBain, 62, on several charges including drug smuggling, misconduct in public office, fraud and money laundering.

The trio are jointly accused of conspiring to supply a quantity of cannabis into HMP Brixton between September 1 and October 31, 2022, the Daily Mail reports.

All three are also charged with conspiring to supply a quantity of ‘Spice Paper’ – where the synthetic Class B drug spice is sprayed onto paper and then smoked or ingested.

They are further charged with conspiring between the same dates to convey prohibited articles into HMP Brixton – three mobile phones and cables.

Day is additionally charged with one count of misconduct in public office.

She is accused of conspiring with an inmate to convey prohibited articles into the prison while acting as a prison officer on October 24, 2022.

The prison officer is further accused of possessing a quantity of cannabis on the same date in addition to fraud by false representation between January 22, 2022 and February 9, 2023.

The fraud charge relates to her allegedly failing to disclose she had visited another prisoner at HMP Lewis and HMP Maidstone, with intent to gain employment at HMP Brixton.

Baluba is further charged with possessing a mobile phone in HMP Brixton on October 20, 2022.

He is also charged with money laundering having allegedly transferred £2,170 of criminal property into Day’s bank account between September 1 and October 31, 2022.

The trio will appear at Croydon Crown Court on January 7, 2026.

Day was bailed on the condition that she does not contact her two co-defendants.

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