Flying contraband into Canberra's jail with a drone would be specifically outlawed under a Canberra Liberals push to tighten the rules governing smuggling prohibited items to detainees
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The opposition's spokeswoman on corrections, Elizabeth Kikkert, will on Thursday introduce a bill into the Legislative Assembly that would make it a crime to cause a prohibited item to be taken into a correctional centre or be given to a detainee.
"As written, existing law does not clearly capture using a [remotely piloted aircraft] to fly over the [Alexander Maconochie Centre] and remotely drop something inside. These changes will make it easier to prosecute anyone who tries to deliver banned items into our prison," she said.
Mrs Kikkert said the issue was an emerging problem in the ACT and she was aware of at least two attempted deliveries of contraband into the Alexander Maconochie Centre using remotely controlled aircraft.
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"Other jurisdictions have struggled with solutions because the use of airspace is controlled by the Commonwealth. My bill avoids any conflicts with federal legislation by not attempting to restrict the airspace," she said in a statement.
A drone was used to drop contraband within the secure perimeter of Canberra's prison in early June, and a detainee was caught on CCTV collecting the goods. ACT Corrections said at the time the matter was under "active investigation".
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
