Pigeon Smuggling Methamphetamine Caught at Canadian Prison

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Canadian prison guards caught a pigeon carrying drugs in a small backpack.

The flight-bound drug mule had a small backpack wrapped around its wings, within the backpack was 30 grams of meth.

“A pigeon was located at Pacific Institution, inside the walls, and it appeared to have a small package, sort of like a backpack attached to it,” John Randle, president of the Pacific Region for Union of Canadian Correctional Officers told Global News. Randle said the pigeon was found near one of the recreation yards at the institution.

The incident reportedly happened on Dec. 29 at the federal penitentiary located in Abbotsford.

“It was spotted by correctional officers, I believe, and security intelligence officers when the officers were doing their standard patrols around and throughout the unit and institution, that’s when they initially spotted the bird with the package on it,” he said.

Randle said they have had issues with contraband in the past, with drones or something being thrown over the wall, but in his 13-year career, he has never heard of birds being used to smuggle something into a prison.

“It’s almost like the inmates and the criminals are going back in time and using older technology,” he said.

In November, Mission Institution was locked down for days due to a belief that a drone may have dropped a firearm onto the prison grounds. The lockdown was lifted when no gun was found but officers did locate a drone.


As of this writing, no charges have been filed against the pigeon. It has not been reported that prison officials have knowledge of who the inmates are that were to retrieve the drugs from the pigeon. It is doubtful that authorities will find out as the carrier was not a stool pigeon.

Source Global News