Jail guards seize pigeon wearing backpack containing crystal meth in prison yard

Correctional officers have captured a pigeon carrying a backpack of crystal meth in an attempt to drop it off at a Canadian jail.

Global News reported that a guard spotted the bird with contraband at the correctional facility on December 29.

“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,” president of the Pacific Region for Union of Canadian Correctional Officers John Randle told the outlet.

Randle said the bird was found near one of the recreation yards in Abbotsford.

He said: “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.”

Once guards had noticed the bird had a small backpack tied to it, they corned it.

They set the bird free and found 30 grams of crystal meth inside the little package.

"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 told CBC News.

In his 13-year career, Randle admitted that while tossing illegal substances over the wall poses a problem, he’s never seen this new method of drug smuggling before.

He added: "It's almost like the inmates and the criminals are going back in time and using older technology.”

The Correctional Service of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that they had launched an investigation; however, they did not provide further details.

As drug smugglers come up with just about every trick in the book, this isn’t the first time pigeon post has come into play.

In 2017, authorities in Kuwait managed to detain a pigeon in a building near the customs department.

According to the local newspaper Al-Rai, 178 pills were found in a small bag attached to the bird's back.

The outlet reported the drugs were a form of ketamine.

Abdullah Fahmi told BBC News that while customs officials had known pigeons were being used to import drugs; this was the first time they had caught a bird in the act.

Better luck next time, chicken run!