Three weeks before Christmas, staff at Lee Correctional Institution (Lee CI) in South Carolina discovered a package dropped by a drone into the prison yard. Inside were raw steak still in supermarket packaging, a bag of king crab legs, two large bags of marijuana, a carton of cigarettes, a vacuum-sealed bag of loose tobacco, and a box of seasoning powder.

Food and contraband smuggled into Lee CI prison by drone. *Photo: SCDC*

Prison officials stated the drone was seized on the morning of 7/12. They are investigating the drone operator and the intended recipients; no arrests have been made yet.

"It appears some individuals were planning an early party", a prison spokesperson stated, adding, "I imagine the prisoners awaiting that package will be quite upset."

Preventing contraband from entering state prisons is an ongoing battle across the US. Prisons have had to raise fences and install additional netting above them to deter outsiders from throwing or using devices to propel packages containing cell phones, drugs, or other illegal items over perimeter walls.

Smugglers have shifted to using drones, forcing correctional staff to constantly patrol yards and exterior areas to guard against drones dropping packages. The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) spends millions of USD annually to combat this aerial smuggling route.

Lee CI prison seized at least 12 drones in 2022. *Photo: SCDC*

"We have to combat drones every night", a Lee CI spokesperson said, noting that some drone models can carry over 13 kg of goods.

Drone operators sometimes camouflage packages by covering them with artificial turf to blend with the grass or even trash, making them appear like inconspicuous piles of waste. The prison has established specialized drone teams to detect and intercept these aerial smuggling attempts.

According to government reports, an 8-month investigation at Lee CI prison in 2022 resulted in 20 arrests and the seizure of 12 drones, along with over 45 kg of contraband. Additionally, staff discovered three abandoned drones in the woods near the prison fence.

Operating a drone near a prison in South Carolina is a misdemeanor, punishable by 30 days in jail. Dropping contraband into a prison is a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

By Tue Anh (based on CBS, Nypost, Fox reports)