The search uncovered something else: a 6ft-long jungle python showing visible signs of addiction. It had apparently absorbed drug fumes and particles through its skin.
Seven months later, the "very aggressive" snake has returned to normal behaviour under the care of 14 prisoners selected to work in a wildlife care programme.
It is one of about 250 animals cared for at a minimum-security prison in Sydney which houses kangaroos, wallabies, possums, wombats and native birds.
