Malaysia – quadcopter UAV used in a failed attempt to smuggle contraband into prison

On 9 August 2024, a quadcopter UAV was used in a failed attempt to smuggle contraband into Tapah Prison, located in Perak State, Malaysia.

The UAV was intercepted with anti-drone systems and from the image released by Perak Police, EWS analysts were able to identify the drone used as a Xiaomi FIMI X8 SE. Further details and specifications on the X8 SE have been entered into the Oversite UxV Technical tab, making it one of 1,700 UAVs already entered with detailed specifications, including control frequency, dimensions, operating conditions, flight time, altitude and payload.

A statement from the Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) confirmed that there have been seven identified attempts to smuggle various drugs into Malaysian prisons using drones in 2024. As a result of this, the Malaysian Prisons Department has formed a collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to mitigate the increasing risk of drones being used to smuggle contraband into prisons.

• Published by Annabelle