/ 18 January 2007

Drug birds fly over New Zealand prison walls

A prisoner’s empty eye socket and dead birds filled with methamphetamine have been used in some of the more unusual attempts to smuggle drugs to prisoners in New Zealand, a report said on Wednesday.

Previous attempts included throwing tennis balls or fruit containing drugs over prison walls, but tossing dead birds over the walls is a new turn, said Karen Unwin, national security manager for New Zealand’s prison service.

She told the Press newspaper that prisoners’ ingenuity is underestimated.

“Some are quite desperate, so will resort to any wacky measures,” she said.

One prison visitor missing an eye had tried to smuggle drugs into prison by stuffing drugs into the empty socket, she said.

Prison officers also have the sometimes unpleasant task of checking babies’ nappies during visits. — AFP