The bird was discovered at Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, 80km east of Vancouver in Canada.

It was carrying a fabric backpack with the drugs on Dec 29 at a yard in the facility. Officers set a trap to catch it.

John Randle, a spokesman for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said that this was the first time he had heard of a bird being used to smuggle drugs into a prison.

“My initial reaction was shock because of all the advancements in technology and the number of drones we’ve seen. The fact that it’s tied to a pigeon is abnormal,” he said.

He suggested prisoners had gone “old school” because officers were on the lookout for drones carrying drugs, which he said were a daily nuisance.

“They have gone backward in technology, maybe that’s because of all the work we have done with drone interdiction that they are trying to find new ways to get contraband in without being detected.”