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The Correctional Service of Canada says it is heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions after a number of busts at facilities in Ontario and Quebec this month.

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March began with a drug bust at Cowansville Institution, a medium-security federal institution in Quebec.

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Staff members seized packages of contraband on the perimeter of the institution on March 1, 11 and 13, and estimate the items carry an institutional value of nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

The packages included 763 grams of cannabis wax, 345 grams of hashish, 104 grams of marijuana, 400 methamphetamine tablets, 950 grams of tobacco, four SIM cards and three cellphones.

On March 5, 2023, another package containing contraband and unauthorized items was seized at Collins Bay Institution, a medium security federal institution in Kingston, Ont.

The items included 1.1 kilograms of marijuana, 640 grams of tobacco and rolling papers, 30 grams of crystal meth, as well as cellphones and accessories.

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Six days later, CSC seized a package at Warkworth Institution, a medium security federal institution in Campbellford, Ont. 

The package included approximately 219 grams of marijuana, 200 grams of tobacco and rolling papers, as well as cellphones and accessories.

The following day, back in Quebec, a package was seized on the perimeter of the Regional Reception Centre, a federal multi-level security institution in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec.

The package, valued at $25K, included 55 grams of hashish, 36 grams of cannabis, 100 grams of tobacco and three cellphones.

CSC reports it uses tools like ion scanners and drug-detector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates and visitors. Drones are also commonly used to drop packages of contraband into facilities.

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In a statement, CSC said its “heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone.”

“CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband into correctional institutions.”

Last month, a wayward drone likely intended for Bordeaux jail, the largest provincial prison in Quebec, ended up hung up on a backyard clothesline in Montreal instead.

The package contained nearly a kilogram of cannabis, hash and tobacco, along with a homemade knife and cellphones with SIM cards and is estimated to have an institutional value of about $45K.

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