Crafty prisoners are using laser pens to direct drones carrying drugs to their cell windows at night.
Inmates at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin are believed to be using the devices when it’s dark as they’re less likely to be spotted.
And at the capital’s Mountjoy Prison, tennis balls stuffed with drugs are being set on fire and thrown into the jail where they burn through special netting and are then collected by the lags.
A source told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “Drones are being used a lot to try and smuggle narcotics and other things into Wheatfield Prison.
"The vast majority of them are being caught before they have time to do a drop-off.
“Some of the windows in the jail have old school designs which allow for inmates to retrieve something.
“The drones have cameras on them and the prisoner flashes the laser light every few seconds to indicate which area the person operating it has to fly it to.”
Meanwhile, tennis balls that have been set alight are being used to smuggle drugs into Mountjoy Prison.
They are filled with drugs then thrown over the perimeter wall of the jail.
As they’re on fire, they burn through the net over the exercise yard which has been placed to catch such items from landing.
The source added: “Prisoners normally get another inmate who is in debt to them to go and retrieve the balls. That way they’re the ones responsible.”
The Irish Prison Service was contacted for comment.
