Cat detained by police after attempting to smuggle drugs into Russian prison

A cat was detained by Russian police earlier this week after it was caught attempting to smuggle drugs into a prison.

The drug mule was intercepted on its way into a prison in Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday, July 21, and was found to be carrying unconfirmed substances in a makeshift collar.

The Russian Federal Penitentiary Service said they found the kitty criminal wearing two pieces of fabric around its neck, each containing different narcotics.

"Criminals used a cat to deliver narcotics to correctional colony No. 17," they said. "The staff of the correctional facility found two homemade fabric collars with prohibited substances on the animal."

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"The mustachioed courier had to sneak in and deliver the illegal package to the convicts. But vigilant officers prevented the attempt to transfer narcotics," they added.

According to The Independent, the furry felon was discovered by sniffer dogs and the narcotics it was carrying were confiscated. The cat then underwent a health check before it was eventually released.

"A cynologist with a service dog arrived on the scene, which confirmed the presence of drugs in the collar," police said. "Employees were convinced that everything was fine with the fluffy intruder, after which he was released."

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While police did not confirm what the illicit substances carried by the cat were, they said that it was released unharmed after the drugs were removed.

It’s not the first recorded attempt at using animals to smuggle drugs into prison. In 2023, a pigeon carrying a small backpack filled with crystal meth was captured at a Canadian federal prison in British Columbia.

Prison officers noticed the bird in its unusual attire in a prison yard, and captured it after setting up a trap. It was detained, with an investigation launched.

Watch a video of the cat being captured here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor