The Irish Prison Service (IPS) and Gardaí have launched separate investigations following the discovery of a drone and a significant quantity of drugs on the grounds of Cork Prison.
The incident occurred yesterday Wednesday, 10 September 2025, when prison staff located the drone along with what has been described as a substantial stash of contraband.
It is understood the illicit materials included tablets and a powder-like substance.
Prison authorities immediately notified An Garda Síochána, who have since opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
This latest discovery comes amid growing concerns over the scale of smuggling operations targeting the prison system. According to the Irish Prison Officers Association, contraband valued at up to €5 million has been smuggled into Irish prisons so far this year.
In response to yesterdays
seizure, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said:
“The IPS continues to maintain high-level engagement and intelligence-sharing with An Garda Síochána, which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests, and significant disruption to organised crime networks attempting to smuggle illicit items into Irish prisons.”
An Garda Síochána has reaffirmed its operational support for the IPS, particularly through initiatives such as Operation Throwover, which is active across prison facilities nationwide.
Operation Throwover is specifically designed to disrupt, intercept, and prosecute attempts to smuggle contraband into prisons, including the use of drones and other external delivery methods.
