Three men were arrested while attempting to use a drone to smuggle contraband—including drugs, phones, and cigarettes—into the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) in Arouca between Sunday night and early Monday. Police also seized the drone, its payload, and later uncovered additional contraband hidden in prison cells during simultaneous searches.
The multi-agency operation, led by Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro and supported by acting Prisons Commissioner Hayden Forde, involved several specialised police and defence units. Authorities also searched the home of a known offender and impounded a vehicle linked to the smuggling attempt.
Both Guevarro and Forde praised the coordinated effort, saying it disrupted a sophisticated smuggling network and sent a strong message against illicit prison trade. They acknowledged the MSP remains a hotspot for drone-related contraband smuggling, but reaffirmed their commitment to national security and institutional integrity.
The raid took place under the ongoing State of Emergency, which was imposed due to intelligence that MSP inmates had formed a powerful crime syndicate plotting robberies, kidnappings, and assassinations of high-profile figures.
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