Last week, South Yorkshire police conducted a vehicle search outside a Doncaster prison after suspicious behaviour, discovering a cache of crack cocaine, and a one year old marmoset monkey.
The car, noticeably trying to avoid contact with officers outside of HMP Moorland, was stopped and searched alongside His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, revealing a large quantity of the Class A drugs and the young primate, believed to be a person’s pet.
The monkey was safely removed from the vehicle and transported to an animal sanctuary, with the RSPCA now looking into the matter.
Following the search of the vehicle, two women in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs and brought into custody.
There were over 26,000 individual drug funds in prisons in 2024-25, a 25% increase compared to the previous 12 months.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, said “vital security infrastructure” was urgently needed to stop drugs entering prisons across England,
It is also estimated that up to 5,000 primates are currently being kept as pets in the UK.
From 6 April 2026, new legislation is planned to come into effect which will require all private keepers of primates in England to obtain a specialist licence from their local authority.
Failure to do so is a criminal offence, and could result in an unlimited fine or jail.