B.C. men arrested after drone, meth intercepted at Manitoba prison

Two men are in custody after an incident involving a drone at Stony Mountain Institution.

Manitoba RCMP said they were tipped off early Sunday morning, around 3:20 a.m., that a drone had been spotted flying above and into the prison, and a suspicious vehicle had also been spotted on a nearby back road.

After a search of the area, the vehicle was tracked down to Highway 7 near Provincial Road 321, and during a traffic stop, an officer noticed a drone in the back seat.

At the same time, police said, the area where the drone was believed to have landed in the prison was searched, leading to the seizure of meth and a substance suspected to be fentanyl. Stony Mountain staff told police they had seen a drone drop a similar package the day before.

On Monday, an area resident discovered a suspicious package near the location of the traffic stop the day before. Police said the package was consistent with the previous packages found at the prison and was arranged in a way that could be carried by a drone.

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Two men, 20 and 22, from British Columbia were each charged with two counts of trafficking meth, possession for the purposes of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.

As the investigation continued, RCMP said, Winnipeg police were notified about a suspicious Airbnb property rental on Stradbrook Avenue, after the owner discovered concerning items inside. Police confiscated a large quantity of meth and other drugs, as well as a firearm. The Airbnb was later determined to have been rented by the same two B.C. men.

As a result, the two suspects have had multiple other charges added on, including possession and trafficking of cocaine and MDMA, illicit cannabis possession and a number of gun charges.

RCMP said there are likely more charges pending.

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