A drug-smuggling cat who sneakily brought two grams of heroin as well as illegal SIM cards into a Sri Lankan prison has escaped from police custody, it has been announced. Officers at the high-security Welikada Prison on Saturday caught the cat in action, but now the animal has gone missing and is free to smuggle again.Â
- How does a cat smuggle drugs? The cat in question was found carrying drugs, a SIM card, and a memory chip in a tiny plastic bag tied around its neck. It was caught by officers before being able to deliver its parcel, though it’s unclear what tipped authorities off to the ruse.
- The cat refused to be imprisoned. According to the Aruna newspaper, the kitty spent less than 24 hours in custody before it somehow managed to get out of the room it was being kept in. Authorities at the prison haven’t confirmed its escape.
- Smuggling is a major issue in Sri Lankan prisons. While Welikada is considered a high-security facility, that hasn’t kept illegal activities from happening there. In the last month alone, 38 mobile phones, 264 batteries, 20 SIM cards and 3.5 grams of heroin in parcels have been intercepted, the Colombo Gazette reports.
- Drug-smuggling cats aren’t the only ones doing the dirty work. Last week, police brought an eagle into custody that they believed was being used to distribute narcotics around the country. Using animals to smuggle and move drugs around the country is becoming increasingly popular as criminals believe the method will allow them to avoid police attention. In many cases, they’re likely correct, but authorities are becoming more aware of the issue and are therefore on higher alert for anything that might be amiss.
- It can be incredibly dangerous for animals. In addition to the risks of them accidentally ingesting the drugs being tied to them, they also stand a chance of being injured or killed if they’re caught by drug rivals or even authorities and it’s just not right.
