Dead Rats are being Used to Smuggle Drugs

Criminals stuffed dead rats with drugs and mobile phones to smuggle the contraband into UK prisons. The prison service is working with police to find and prosecute the culprits.
Staff at HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset discovered three rodents that had been stitched up across their stomachs. Subsequent investigation revealed the animals had been stuffed with phones and chargers, sim cards and drugs.
The Ministry of Justice said intelligence suggests the rats were thrown in by organized criminals co-ordinating with an offender on the inside.
The animals were found just inside of the perimeter fence of the category C institution, which has been plagued by ill-discipline.
Had they not been seized, the items would have been sold around the jail “leaving chaos and violence in their wake”, officials said.
In the 12 months to March 2018, there were 13,119 incidents where drugs were found in prisons in England and Wales — a rise of 23% on the previous year. Discoveries of mobiles also increased, up 15% to 10,643 cases.
Officials say inmates are adopting increasingly inventive tactics to keep contraband hidden, including stashing it in hollowed-out furniture or in ­electrical items.
Prisons Minister Rory Stewart said: “This shows the extraordinary lengths to which criminals will go to smuggle drugs into prison and why our work to improve security is so important.
“Drugs and mobile phones behind bars put prisoners, prison officers and the public at risk.”
“By toughening security and searching, we can ensure prisons are places of rehabilitation that will prevent further re-offending and keep the public safe.”
>Juthy Saha