I recently spent two weeks digging into a disturbing trend in Saskatchewan’s prison system. What began as a tip from a corrections officer has unveiled a sophisticated operation that highlights how technology is reshaping criminal enterprises behind prison walls.
Last month, RCMP officers arrested three individuals in connection with an elaborate drone smuggling operation at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert. The suspects allegedly used remote-controlled drones to deliver packages containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cannabis to inmates in the medium-security wing.
“We’ve been tracking unusual nighttime activity for months,” said Sergeant Marie Dumont of the RCMP’s Correctional Service Investigative Unit. “The operation had all the hallmarks of organized crime—scheduled deliveries, counter-surveillance techniques, and sophisticated equipment.”
Court documents I’ve reviewed show the smugglers used modified commercial drones capable of carrying payloads of up to 500 grams. The drones were equipped with thermal imaging to identify guards’ positions and operated primarily during overnight shifts when staffing was reduced. Most concerning to investigators was the precision of the deliveries, with packages dropped directly onto predetermined cell windows.
The Correctional Service of Canada has documented a 340% increase in drone-related incidents at federal institutions since 2019, according to internal reports obtained through freedom of information requests. Saskatchewan Penitentiary alone reported 17 suspected drone sightings in the past year.
Justin Williams, a digital security consultant who advises correctional facilities, explained the technological challenges. “Commercial anti-drone systems cost between $100,000 and $2 million. Most Canadian prisons simply don’t have the budget for this technology,” he told me during an interview at his office in Regina.
The financial incentives driving this new smuggling method are substantial. Inside prison walls, drugs command astronomical markups. A gram of methamphetamine worth $80 on Prince Albert streets can fetch upwards of $800 inside the penitentiary, according to testimony in the preliminary hearing.
I spoke with Dr. Emily Chang, criminologist at the University of Saskatchewan, who has been studying contraband economies in Canadian correctional facilities. “This represents an evolution in smuggling techniques,” she said. “Traditional methods required human couriers—visitors, corrupt staff. Drones eliminate those vulnerabilities while maintaining supply chains.”
The Saskatchewan operation’s sophistication became clear when I examined the charging documents. The alleged smugglers established a staging area in a rented farmhouse approximately 3 kilometers from the prison—just within range of commercial drone capabilities but far enough to avoid immediate detection.
RCMP surveillance footage shows the suspects conducting test flights over fields adjacent to the property, practicing precision drops with weighted packages. Investigators also seized modified controllers, night-vision equipment, and detailed schedules of guard rotations.
“What we’re seeing is the adaptation of widely available technology for criminal purposes,” said Crown Prosecutor Linda Markowitz. “The law is still catching up to these methods.”
The case has exposed significant security gaps in Canadian correctional facilities. While newer prisons incorporate drone detection systems in their design, older institutions like Saskatchewan Penitentiary—built in 1911—were never conceived with aerial threats in mind.
The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers has been sounding alarms about drone smuggling since 2017. I reviewed correspondence between the union and Correctional Service Canada that revealed repeated requests for counter-drone technology.
“We’ve been documenting these incidents for years,” said union representative Thomas Lapointe. “Our members are increasingly concerned about the types of contraband entering facilities—especially fentanyl, which poses risks not just to inmates but to staff who might be accidentally exposed.”
What makes these drone deliveries particularly challenging to combat is their brief operational window. The flights typically last less than five minutes, with the actual delivery taking seconds. By the time guards respond to a sighting, the drone has often already returned to its operators.
The technological cat-and-mouse game continues to evolve. Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto recently published research on counter-drone measures being deployed internationally, ranging from signal jammers to trained eagles. However, each countermeasure brings its own complications, particularly in urban settings where jamming technologies can interfere with legitimate communications.
For inmates with connections to outside criminal networks, drone deliveries represent a significant advantage. Court documents included testimony from a confidential informant who described how certain inmates would coordinate delivery times using coded messages during authorized phone calls.
The three suspects—whose case is proceeding to trial this fall—face charges under both the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. If convicted, they could face up to 14 years in prison.
As this case moves through the courts, correctional officials across Canada are reassessing their perimeter security strategies. The Correctional Service of Canada has initiated a pilot program testing drone detection systems at three maximum-security facilities, though Saskatchewan Penitentiary is not among them.
This case represents more than just innovative smuggling—it demonstrates how quickly criminal enterprises adapt to technological opportunities. As one RCMP investigator noted in court documents, “The drone itself isn’t the problem. It’s the ingenuity behind its use.”
For communities surrounding prisons, this new smuggling frontier creates additional concerns. Residents near Saskatchewan Penitentiary have reported unusual nighttime drone activity to police, worried about privacy violations and potential security risks.
As I finished my reporting on this story, Correctional Service Canada announced plans to enhance perimeter monitoring at Saskatchewan Penitentiary. Whether these measures will be sufficient to counter the evolving threat remains an open question—one that prison systems worldwide are now being forced to address.
