A pigeon carrying a miniature backpack filled with drugs has been captured at a prison in Canada. The incident took place last month on December 29, at the maximum, medium and minimum federal penitentiary located in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Speaking to Global News, John Randle, president of the Pacific Region for Union of Canadian Correctional, said, "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."
According to Mr Randle, the miniature backpack that the bird was carrying had crystal meth stashed inside. The pigeon was found near one of the recreation yards at the institution. Officers were standing in one of the fenced inmate unit yards - which prisoners use regularly for hanging out, playing games or just getting some fresh air - when they noticed a grey bird with a small package attached to its back.
"And then, of course, I believe there was some creative work - because the bird moved around quite a bit - in order to track it and capture it. But it was just outside one of the unit yards when it was first spotted," Mr Randall told the outlet.
Also Read | Man Changes His Gender To Female To Fight For Custody Of His Daughters: Report
As per CBC News, the officials noted that the package was tied to the bird in a similar fashion to a little backpack. The officers had to corner the bird in order to catch it. And after a "lengthy period of time," the officers apprehended the pigeon, removed its cargo and set it free.
Mr Randall said that the mini backpack contained about 30 grams of crystal meth, which he described as a "fairly substantial" amount of the intensely addictive stimulant. "It's definitely scary with the fact that it was crystal meth that was found on the bird because that causes a whole lot of problems," he added, as per the outlet.
Further, the president of the facility also went on to say that he has had issues with contraband in the past, with drones or something being thrown over the wall. However, he added that 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.
It is still unclear to officials if someone inside the prison was training the bird or if it was someone outside the facility. For now, they have increased staff and patrols in order to watch for any potential drops. The Correctional Service of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have also launched a joint investigation into what happened.
