Cat in custody: Kitten caught with drug-filled vest at Costa Rican prison
Suspected marijuana, crack cocaine paste and rolling paper were found inside a plastic, vest-like structure affixed to the cat's torso. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM COSTA RICA MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND PEACE/FACEBOOK
It was movement in the shadows – something small and quick – that caught the attention of a prison guard at Costa Rica's Pococi Peniten tiary.
What the officer spotted was not an inmate, but a kitten carrying a secret: a vest concealing two packages of drugs, strapped around its torso.
In a Facebook post published on May 9, Costa Rica's Ministry of Justice and Peace said that officers from the prison had captured the cat at Pococi Penitentiary, in the country's Limon province.
According to the post, the feline was spotted in the 'green zone' on the night of May 6 near the prison's perimeter by an officer stationed in a guard tower, who immediately raised the alarm.
In most prisons, the green zone refers to a particular area within the premises where some practices or conditions are in place. It is usually seen as an area with a more relaxed atmosphere or specific populations of inmates.
Responding quickly, officers secured the animal and discovered a plastic, vest-like structure affixed to its body. Inside were 2 35.65g of what appeared to be marijuana, 67.76g of suspected crack cocaine paste, and two sheets of rolling paper.
In a video attached to the Facebook post, the cat is calm as one officer gently holds and pets it, while another carefully cuts open the vest. Tucked inside the lining are two small drug bundles – precisely packed suspected to be intended for inmates within the prison.
The drugs were confiscated, and the cat was handed over to Costa Rica's National Animal Health Service for a health evaluation, said the ministry.
The authorities have not yet established who was behind the attempted smuggling. Investigations are ongoing, including the review of surveillance footage.
While unusual, this is not an isolated incident.
According to several BBC reports, Costa Rican prison authorities have previously encountered animals – mainly cats and pigeons – being used to ferry drugs, cash, and other contraband into detention facilities.
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