A man flying a drone near a Scots prison was stopped by cops - amid concerns he might have been using the airborne gadget to smuggle drugs over the walls.
Tayside police officers stopped the man and gave him advice after it emerged that his piloting at the edge of HMP Perth was innocuous - if not wise.
Cops have teamed up with the Scottish Prison Service to tackle an outbreak of drug smuggling at the prison. Uniformed and plain-clothes patrols were carried out outside the jail last week between June 22 and 24, with mounted patrols deployed on the Friday to deter would-be contraband runners.
Alongside the drone pilot, three other men were searched and "given advice" by covert officers to ensure they weren't up to no good.
Police Constable Scott Birrell, Prison Liaison Officer, said: "Tackling drug misuse within prisons is a priority for Police Scotland and this significant operation reinforces our determination to target criminals.
"Drug misuse brings nothing but misery and people's lives can be ruined."
He added: "We will continue to use every tool and tactic at our disposal to remove these illegal substances from our prisons.
"We depend on the continued support from our partners and our local communities and I would urge anyone who has any information, or concerns surrounding drugs, to contact police.
"Anyone with concerns can call officers on 101 or alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Crims have recently been jailed for their part in smuggling operations. One 20-year-old man, caged last month, was convicted after hurling bags of drugs over the prison walls. But prison bosses remain worried that others could use devices such as drones to deliver drugs into the hands of prisoners.
A prison service spokesperson said the body was "committed to tackling the harms caused by misuse of contraband substances in our prisons".
They added: “We have invested in technology to better detect suspicious substances, working closely with partner agencies to gather relevant intelligence.
“Rapiscan machines which specifically detect substances that may be concealed in items of mail and personal property, are now in use in all of Scotland’s prison.
“Individuals will use various methods, including drones, in an attempt to introduce contraband to our prisons.
“We deploy a range of robust security measures to prevent this and work closely with Police Scotland to investigate and identify any perpetrators.”
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