I think you posted the wrong link - that story is about the chimp attack victim.
On the topic, though, I'm more surprised that pigeons weren't used to smuggle in something else before this. I guess anything they carry would have to be pretty small, but I'm sure several useful escape tools could be flown in.
This also applies to people doing things illegal out here but it's funny how creative criminals can be and yet they don't seem to apply that to jobs out in the real world. This is just another example of how someone's ingenuity could've been used to better mankind rather than break the law.