The days of smuggling cigarettes into jail through stuffed animals is on its way out for convicts.
On Sunday, a remote-controlled helicopter stocked with mobile phones landed inside a jail near Larissa, Greece. The small UAV easily ascended the barbed wire fence and landed inside the jail walls, where luckily, it was quickly spotted by guards and then examined by bomb experts as a precaution.
Attached to the drone were five cell phones accompanied by charging cables, headphones, and SIM cards.
Apparently, someone on the inside had a friend on the outside willing to spare no expense.
On May 14th in Russia, Russian Federal Security captured a large homemade drone filled with cigarettes. The drone weighed in at over 20 pounds and was equipped with GPS, which allowed the person controlling it to navigate remotely.
Stateside, we see similar attempts occurring.
Just a few weeks ago, Brenton Lee Doyle was accused of attempting a similar stunt by trying to fly a drone into the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina. The drone carried several contraband items including marijuana, tobacco, and a cellphone.
Incidents like this are becoming commonplace for criminals.
According to Quartz.com, expert and attorney John. L. Davidson says using drones to smuggle contraband poses “less personal risk to the participants.”
While prison guards are on the lookout for this type of security threat, authorities recognize the issue with the lack of accountability, as it is fairly easy for users employing these drones to remain unidentified.