UK’s private airfields used by smugglers to bring drugs, weapons and migrants, report finds

A new study from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warns that more than 500 UK aerodromes—including airports, airfields and helipads—are being used as loopholes for criminal trafficking. Unscheduled flights from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg can land without the rigorous customs checks applied to major airports, allowing large quantities of cocaine, heroin and cash, as well as illegal migrants, to enter the country.

Specific incidents cited include 500 kg of cocaine discovered on a private jet at Farnborough Airport, £12 million worth of heroin and cocaine hidden in a helicopter in Kent and Surrey, and an attempted migrant smuggling at Deenethorpe Airfield. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp condemned the gangs and blamed Labour’s lack of resolve. The report states that 77,316 general-aviation flights arrived from abroad in 2025, overwhelming the ability of Border Force and other agencies to vet each arrival.

While a 2024 rule now requires passenger declarations, the authors argue it is insufficient and propose universal transponder use, expanded Europol cooperation and coordinated drone-counter-terrorism units. A Home Office spokesperson countered that Border Force does assess every notified flight and has seized around 130 kg of Class A drugs and stopped illegal entrants.