The Ministry of Justice’s Correctional Department has instructed all correctional institutions to step up airspace monitoring, utilizing surveillance systems in conjunction with patrols for vigilance.
If anomalies are detected, authorities must immediately report and resolve the situation, and, if necessary, refer the case to the judiciary and other authorities for investigation and enforcement, it said.
The directive came in the wake of a case in which officers during a patrol at Hualien Prison on Sept. 14 at about 10pm discovered a drone hovering overhead, which dropped two volleyballs.
Photo courtesy of the Hualien Police Department
An investigation revealed that prior to the dropping of the balls, a 29-year-old suspect surnamed Lo (羅), who had previously served time at Hualien Prison and was very familiar with the prison’s layout, was spotted parking his car beside the patrol path near the prison wall.
He was spotted by prison staff, who immediately reported the incident.
Meanwhile, prison officers, upon discovering the balls and opening them, found each ball containing three packets of betel nuts and two bottles filled with whiskey.
The two balls contained four bottles of whiskey and six packets of betel nuts altogether, they said.
Hualien Prison said it decided to remain discreet and placed two additional volleyballs on the court as “bait,” and sure enough, an inmate named Chen (陳) later appeared to “retrieve the goods.”
It turned out Chen was Lo’s friend, the prison said.
Sources said the following day was the monthly day for inmates to play ball, and it was suspected that the inmate intentionally dropped the volleyballs containing contraband onto the court for his friend to collect and use.
As the airspace above Hualien Prison is a no-fly zone, the case is being processed under Article 99-13 of the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法). Flying a drone in a no-fly or restricted zone can result in a fine ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$1.5 million (NT$9,545 to NT$47,725).
The police have reported the case to the county government for penalties to be imposed.
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