Prison officials confiscated contraband, including drugs, cellphones, cash, routers, digital accessories and sharp objects during a surprise raid at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Cape Town on Saturday evening.
The search operation was led by national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale.
He said these items were often smuggled into correctional facilities through visitors, during inmates’ court appearances and hospital visits, and, in some instances, with the involvement of officials.
Thobakgale said these search operations are critical to ensuring safety and security for officials and inmates.
The presence of contraband in prisons came into sharp focus recently when a telephonic interview was conducted by news channel eNCA with inmate Jermaine Prim at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre. The department described the incident as a serious breach of protocol.
TimesLIVE
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