News, deep dives, and analysis — every Contraband story, newest first.
A basketball stuffed with tobacco and cellphones. Ceramic knives that slip past metal detectors. Drones equipped with deep-sea fishing release mechanisms. These are just some of the seized contraband items displayed by a groundbreaking joint task force in Kingston, Ontario—Canada’s first dedicated anti-drone smuggling operation targeting correctional facilities. After nine months of coordinated op
Three men from north Georgia were arrested just after midnight Saturday near Washington State Prison in Davisboro after deputies discovered drone equipment and evidence consistent with an attempted contraband drop during a traffic stop, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The arrests mark the second major bust at the facility in just 10 days,…
Two individuals have been arrested for allegedly using a drone to smuggle drugs into the Kershaw Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison.
On June 2, 2025, a routine traffic stop in Bennettsville, South Carolina, uncovered a sophisticated drone smuggling operation targeting Evans Correctional Institution, revealing the growing challenge of aerial contraband delivery in correctional facilities, according to WYFF News 4. Drones in Crime: A Rising Threat The Bennettsville Police Department initiated the bust during a traffic stop…
A daring attempt to smuggle methamphetamine into a South Carolina federal prison using a drone ended in a spectacular failure when the device crashed, leading to multiyear prison sentences for the trio involved, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The incident highlights the growing challenge of drones in prison contraband schemes and raises questions about…
Prison authorities in England are facing an unprecedented security crisis as drone deliveries to high-security facilities have escalated to a level that poses significant national security concerns, according to Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons. The alarming situation, detailed in recent inspection reports of HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin, reveals sophisticated drone operations…
Prison drone incursions have reached alarming new heights in England and Wales, with officials recording 1,296 incidents in just the first ten months of 2024 – marking a startling tenfold increase since 2020 . The data, revealed through a Freedom of Information request by The Guardian, underscores the growing sophistication of contraband delivery operations and…
A California man has been arrested for allegedly using a drone to deliver fentanyl and other drugs, leading to a customer’s death. This disturbing case, reported by The Guardian, highlights the misuse of drone technology for illegal activities. The Drone-Based Drug Operation Christopher Patrick Laney, 34, of Lancaster, California, is accused of operating an unregistered…
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