Couple arrested for trying to smuggle tobacco into Melaka prison using drone

 Melaka police chief says the activity was believed to have been carried out in collusion with an inmate.

Police seized the drone equipment, including communication and monitoring devices, used by the suspects to smuggle the tobacco into Sungei Udang Prison. (PDRM pic) 

MELAKA:

Police arrested two people for attempting to smuggle tobacco into the Sungai Udang Prison using a drone during a raid at a house in Taman Kris Satria, Sungai Udang here, on Wednesday.

Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said a 46-year-old local man and a 27-year-old local woman were detained at around 4pm following a police report received at 3.10pm on the same day.

He said the raid was conducted by a team of officers and personnel from the D4 branch of the Melaka criminal investigation department alongside the Melaka narcotics criminal investigation department, in cooperation with the Sungai Udang police station.

“We also seized several items believed to be linked to the activity, including drone equipment, materials suspected of being intended for smuggling, communication devices, and other related items to assist with the investigation,” he said in a statement today.

Dzulkhairi said an initial investigation revealed that the male suspect admitted to flying the drone to scout the landing location before smuggling the tobacco to an inmate.

He said the probe also revealed that the activity was believed to have been carried out in collusion with an inmate, and efforts to track down the man involved is currently under way in cooperation with the Sungai Udang prison authorities.

He added that urine screening tests showed both suspects tested negative for drugs.

“It was found that the male suspect has a criminal record with 12 criminal offences and three drug-related offences, while the female suspect has no criminal record,” he said.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 447 of the Penal Code for criminal trespass and Section 58 of the Prisons Act 1995 for offences related to introducing prohibited items into a prison.

“Both suspects are currently remanded to assist with the investigation. Melaka police take the misuse of drones for criminal purposes seriously, especially involving attempts to smuggle prohibited items into prison institutions, and will take strict action against any parties involved,” he said.

He also urged members of the public with information regarding criminal activities to contact any nearby police station or the Melaka police hotline at 06-285 1999 to assist with investigations. - FMT