Drone recovered at Oklahoma prison carrying drugs, hacksaw blades

MCALESTER, Okla., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- The Oklahoma Department of Corrections said an aerial drone found crashed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary contained drugs, hacksaw blades and a cellphone.

The department said staff at the McAlester prison discovered the unmanned aerial vehicle upside down on the prison grounds about 9 a.m. Monday and the corrections officers determined it apparently hit the razor wire surrounding the facility and lost control.

A package connected to the UAV with fishing line contained a pair of 12-inch hacksaw blades, a cellphone, a cellphone battery, a hands-free device, two packages of Newport Cigarettes, two packages of Black & Mild cigars, two tubes of super glue, a 5.3 ounce bag containing marijuana, a 0.8 ounce bag containing methamphetamine and a bag containing less than 1 gram of heroin.

"I applaud and commend the quick action and diligence on the part of the staff who noticed the UAV that entered the prison grounds," DOC Director Robert Patton said.

"We are continuing to take a broad approach to increasing awareness in dealing with contraband at all of our facilities statewide. We must maintain vigilance and stay one step ahead of the game in terms of the technology being used in and around facilities. Nothing is off the table when we are talking about the safety of the public, staff and offenders being housed in our facilities."

The DOC's Office of the Inspector General is investigating.

A package dropped by a drone into the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction July 27 spurred a brawl between inmates trying to lay claim to the 5 ounces of tobacco, 2.3 ounces of marijuana and .23 ounces of heroin. The drugs were recovered by corrections officers and the fighters were placed in solitary confinement.