At a state prison in Ionia, Michigan, prison security caught a drone attempting to deliver contraband. Three people arrested after attempting to deliver drugs, cellphones into a state prison via a drone. The drone dropped a package near the prison housing unit, then returned to drop an additional package near the same area.
The package contained cellphones, cigarettes, marijuana and razor blades. Prison security officials were able to intercept the package and stop it from getting into prisoner hands. If weapons make it to the hands of prisoners it could become a nightmare scenario for prison personnel.
MDOC spokesman Chris Gautz said state prisons have faced other attempted drone drops, but this is the first time that law enforcement were able to locate the drone pilots and make arrests.
Director of the Department of Correction, Heidi Washington stated “Drones present a serious and constant threat to our prisons across the state." Drones are becoming a huge security risk for prisons across the country. As this threat becomes common practice, state and federal prisons will need to look into making drone detection a standard security feature.
Similar incidents have taken place at other correctional facilities across the country, including when a drone crash landed at a Georgia prison and when a drone carrying blades crashed in an Oklahoma prison.