Cops to quiz inmates about drug-carrying drone

IPOH: The police will question inmates at the Tapah prison about the drug-carrying drone that was found on top of the roof at the prison last week.

Perak police chief Comm Datuk Azizi Mat Aris said they believed there could have been previous attempts to drop the drugs using drones at the prison.

He said police would question inmates, especially those who were involved with drugs, to help with the investigation.

“We are still investigating the matter and have yet to determine who the drugs were intended for and who sent it. We will investigate the inmates, especially drug addicts,” Comm Azizi said in a press conference after the monthly police gathering at the state police headquarters here yesterday.

“We have so far recorded statements of five prison officers, including the security post guards and officers, who were manning the CCTV at the prison,” he added.

Last Friday, a drone that was carrying a laundry bag containing drugs was found on the roof of one of the blocks at the prison.

The bag contained 122g of heroin and 12.9g methamphetamine.

Over the weekend, the Prisons Department issued a statement that it would use an anti-drone system and interception equipment to deter the smuggling of prohibited items into the prisons.

Comm Azizi said the drone is believed to have crashed onto the roof after going out of control.

“The drone managed to evade the CCTV cameras by flying high.

“We believe the person who was flying the drone lost control of it before it crashed on the roof,” he said, adding that there had been six previous cases where drugs were smuggled into the prison between 2022 and 2024.

“The first case was recorded in 2022 where a prison officer was arrested and 13.35g of methamphetamine was seized.

“In the other cases, we arrested the inmates and seized various drugs, including heroin and Yaba pills,” he said.