IPOH: The police have recorded statements from five individuals, including prison guards, about the attempt to smuggle drugs into Tapah Prison using a drone last Friday.
Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris said statements were taken from the personnel in charge of the closed circuit television camera (CCTV) and post guards to assist in investigations.
“There has yet to be any arrest so far. We are looking into outsiders who sent the drone and whoever is inside the prison who acted as the recipient.
“We have yet to identify the parties involved but the police believe this case is related to syndicates. We are monitoring the case and the Bukit Aman police have taken over the investigations to consider it from various aspects,” he said at a media conference after the Perak police monthly assembly at the Perak contingent police headquarters here today.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the prison area was equipped with CCTVs as a security measure but cameras could not pick up the presence of the drone as it was flying too high.
“Their modus operandi is to fly the drone from a high altitude to avoid detection and to drop the drugs from there directly to the location,” Azizi said, adding that there were some cases of drugs being smuggled into Tapah Prison that resulted in arrests and seizure of drugs including heroin, methamphetamine and yaba pills since 2022.
The drone drug smuggling attempt came to light when the prison guards discovered a drone on the roof of a prison block in Tapah Prison while on patrol at 11.30 am on Friday.
A laundry bag hanging from the drone contained 122 grams (g) of heroin and 12.9 g of methamphetamine was discovered upon further inspection.
