Man Arrested for Smuggling Drugs into Tenerife II Prison via Tennis Balls
A 39-year-old man has been arrested in Tenerife after being caught throwing tennis balls stuffed with narcotics over the perimeter fence of the Tenerife II prison.
Security at prison perimeters is back in the spotlight following a recent incident at Tenerife II. A 39-year-old man from San Cristóbal de La Laguna has been arrested for drug trafficking after he was caught throwing contraband into the facility.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenge prisons face in securing their borders against simple but persistent smuggling attempts. Security staff first became suspicious after noticing a man acting erratically near the prison. After checking surveillance footage, they confirmed he had thrown two objects over the fence before trying to flee.
Officers quickly alerted internal teams to retrieve the items and launched a search for the suspect, who was intercepted nearby. A search of his belongings uncovered additional narcotics. Inside the prison, staff recovered the two thrown objects: tennis balls that had been modified to hide 61 grams of hashish, 6 grams of crack cocaine, and 1.2 grams of cocaine.
This case underscores the difficulty of monitoring prison perimeters, where smugglers use throwing methods to bypass strict visitor and staff security checks. The suspect is now in custody and awaiting a court appearance.