Drone delivery of dangerous drugs leads to overdose presentations at Midlands Prison

The Midlands Prison in Portlaoise

A drone delivered toxic drugs to a yard in the Midlands Prison, resulting in multiple overdoses and three hospitalisations. 

One man remains in intensive care in hospital.

The drugs, which were in tablet form, were dropped in the D-yard of the Co Laois prison on Friday, sources said. 

A drone dropped the drugs into the yard after 2pm when prisoners were already out there, a source said.

The tablets are believed to have contained a dangerous mix of substances. 

Three men who overdosed were hospitalised and approximately five other men were treated for overdoses in the prison in Portlaoise by medical staff. 

Prison officers also suffered assaults during the incident, it is understood.

It was approximately the fifth drone drop at the prison this week, a source said. 

Drones have been delivering drugs and mobile phones but there is concern that they could also deliver weapons into the prison. Some of the deliveries are as large as a breakfast cereal box, a source said.

Drones do not usually land in the yard but drop their contraband from a height and fly away quickly, making it difficult to intercept them, a source said. 

The Irish Prison Service issued a statement on Saturday saying it is working closely with the HSE following the overdoses.

"Extra vigilance is being taken within the prison and information for prisoners around the dangers of consuming contraband has commenced," the IPS said.

"The Irish Prison Service is committed to preventing the access of contraband including drugs into prisons and continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service."

The IPS has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support efforts to keep contraband out of prisons, the statement said.

"Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. 

"Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons," the IPS statement said. 

"The Irish Prison Service continues to engage with An Garda Síochána with regard to preventing contraband entering our prison and this happens at both local and national level. 

"The Irish Prison Service work closely with colleagues in An Garda Síochána on a regular basis and the sharing of intelligence has led to target searches resulting in the seizure of contraband."

A free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449) is in operation. 

Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of prohibited items into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence, the IPS said.