Cooma: Two men charged over alleged drone drug-drop attempt at NSW prison

Two men have been charged after allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into prison via a drone.

NSW Police received reports of a drone flying above a prison in Cooma in the state’s south about 1.10pm on Friday.

Officers found two men, aged 31 and 38, in a nearby park on Barrack St before searching a car.

Officers allegedly found a drone box and controller, a mobile phone, and SIM cards in the car, and a drone with a package attached in a nearby creek.

The package allegedly contained cannabis, tobacco, a mobile phone and several other items.

The two men were arrested and each charged with operating a drone in prohibited airspace, unlawfully attempting to deliver anything to an inmate and supplying cannabis.

They remain in custody and are due to face court on Saturday.

The incident follows a thwarted attempt to drone-deliver a cache of mobile phones, SIM cards and Allen keys to another NSW prison earlier in September.

Prison staff intercepted the items after they were dropped on a roof at Goulburn Supermax prison on September 5.

In Queensland, a man was charged in August after an investigation into a brazen attempt to smuggle a million-dollar payload of drugs and associated paraphernalia into the Townsville Correctional Complex.

The 47-year-old was arrested and charged after a drone carrying a package allegedly containing methylamphetamine and GBL (gamma-butyrolactone), a variety of prescription drugs, syringes, a glass pipe, a mobile phone and SIM card was intercepted inside the prison on May 17.

He was charged with five counts of supplying dangerous drugs into a correctional facility, one count each of trafficking dangerous drugs, dealing with a prohibited item in a corrective services facility, supplying a medication and drone-related offences.