‘Contraband Christmas’ ruined after drone busted flying ‘crab legs, steak and weed’ into jail
Inmates at Lee Correctional Institution, South Carolina, who were expecting a crab boil for Christmas had their hopes dashed earlier this week, with officials intercepting a gift-carrying drone
A Christmas drone delivery of cannabis, steak and crab legs has been discovered at a South Carolina prison, sparking an investigation. The illicit package – understood to be to inmates at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville – also contained cigarettes and Old Bay seasoning.
The incident was confirmed on X by the South Carolina Department, with a spokesperson using the hashtag #ContrabandChristmas. A photo released by authorities showed the raw steak still in its supermarket packaging alongside the Old Bay, crab legs, plastic baggies of weed and several boxes of cigarettes.
The post read: “Seems some folks were planning an early holiday Old Bay crab boil and steak dinner along with their marijuana and cigarettes — all dropped by a drone at Lee CI.”
The drone allegedly responsible for the delivery was seized Sunday morning (December 7). Prison officials have launched an investigation though no arrests have yet been made.
Prisons spokeswoman Chrysti Shain couldn’t resist the urge for a pun, writing: “I’m guessing the inmates who were expecting the package are crabby.”
Dropping contraband into state prisons carries a sentence of up to 10 years, while just flying a drone outside a South Carolina institution could see the person responsible jailed for 30 days.
Lee Correctional Institution has a history of violence. In 2018, one of the most severe cases of in-prison gang violence broke out, with seven inmates killed as a result of the riot.
A further 17 individuals sustained injuries during the eight-hour rampage of violence, in the most lethal riot since 1993.
Prisoners wielding makeshift blades clashed with one another, with one witness to the carnage describing how corpses were “literally stacked on top of each other”.
Bryan Stirling, head of the state Department of Corrections, explained: “This was all about territory. This was about contraband, this was about cell phones. These folks are fighting over real money and real territory while they are incarcerated.”
Lee County Coroner Larry Logan confirmed that all seven fatalities resulted from stab wounds.
Forty-four warders were working at the 1,583-prisoner facility when the mayhem broke out.
Prison authorities summoned backup and waited four hours before entering the initial wing where fighting had commenced, a postponement officials deemed essential for staff protection. For months, South Carolina officials have stated that prisoners utilised smuggled mobile phones to orchestrate crimes beyond prison walls.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .
