Alexander Mullings ran a drug empire from his prison cell with the help of several people on the outside - including his mother - but all have been found guilty and sentenced at Southwark Crown Court

An inmate ran a drug dealing empire from his prison cell thanks to “wholly inadequate” security with the help of his mother.

Alexander Mullings, 32, headed a gang who smuggled spice, crack, cannabis and others into prisons including HMP Swaleside in Kent. Mullings had previously used Parcelforce to import sub-machine guns and ammunition from Germany, using a mobile phone from his cell at scandal-hit HMP Wandsworth.

He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of ten years for conspiring to possess firearms with intent to endanger life at Luton Crown Court in 2015. In the latest case Mullings admitted smuggling drugs and mobile phones into prisons including Wormwood Scrubs in west London, between 2016 and 2019 with the aid of others, including his mother Alexandra Nicolaou, 52.

Mullings was jailed for 19 years while his mum received seven years at Southwark Crown Court. She, along with Hamza Ahmed, 29, Charlotte Finch, 21, Ahmed Binfgih, 58, Katriye Kaplan, 32, and Danyaal Msaouri-Coulson, 22, all denied but were variously convicted of drug supply charges by a jury after a six month trial.