We’ve seen stories about people using everything from coconuts to their own butts to smuggle drugs into jails. But according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) inmates are now using more sophisticated, high-tech means to get contraband from behind bars.
The BJMP, tasked with handling jail facilities for inmates serving sentences under three years as well as those facing trial, says inmates have “stepped up” their contraband-smuggling measures, with spokesperson Xavier Solda saying that the bureau needs to stay “two steps ahead” to ensure that jails are able to remain free of contraband given these new techniques.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Solda revealed that they have experienced cases of drones flying near their facility. “We have experienced drones flying towards our facility. We even had an experience where the drone fell near our jail facility and we found one packet of shabu (methamphetamine) attached,” he said in Filipino.
Solda added that local government officials have also banned flying devices such as drones near jail facilities as these pose security risks.
The Philippines would certainly not be the first country to face this problem. In the United States, contraband being smuggled into prisons via drones is reportedly a rampant problem.
