Police are presently hunting an individual who attempted to smuggle a large quantity of narcotics, tobacco leaves, mobile phones and other contraband into the Lusignan Prison Holding Area during the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
Based on information received from the Prison Director, Gladwin Samuels, the incident occurred at about 02:15h.
INews understands that the individual- who is presently unknown to investigators- was seen acting in a suspicious manner at the north eastern section of the Penitentiary’s holding area, by prison ranks.
It was also observed that the suspect was in the process of throwing a black, wrapped plastic parcel over the fence. As such, the ranks discharged rounds at the individual, who in turn fled the scene and made good his escape.
However, as he was fleeing, the man reportedly dropped the parcel.
As such, a search conducted in the area revealed a total of ten parcels, a camouflage hat and a pair of short camouflage pants.
Samuels has confirmed that the parcels contained 1002 grams of marijuana, “a large quantity of tobacco leaves”, four cell-phones without SIM cards, one charger, one earpiece and thirty three packs of Bristol cigarettes.
Investigations are ongoing.
Only recently, police were called in to investigate the discovery of a cutlass and a chopper that were reportedly thrown outside of the North Eastern fence of the holding bay at the Lusignan Prison.
Prior to that on June 18, ranks of the joint services conducted a raid on the Lusignan Prison and unearthed several prohibited items, including 31 improvised weapons and a marijuana plant among many others.
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan has since expressed absolute anger at the upsurge in cases regarding the smuggling and attempted smuggling of contraband into prisons countrywide.
“You get angry at what’s happening, you feel a sense of despair but really it just goes to show the quality of some of our prison officers that allow that to happen,” he was recorded in the media saying, last Friday.
He had also indicated that he has been having discussions with the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, so as to have funds allocated in the next budget presentation towards the purchasing of scanners.
He intends to have these implemented at the entrances of each Prison.
“I now have to get technological about the thing, you have to get scanners at the doors that can pick up these things because I don’t think you can collude with scanners but the thing has to get that far now and I have been speaking to the Ministry of Finance for the next budget process 2019 that we buy scanners for those doors that are entry and exit points at these prisons”, he had explained.
In addition to civilians being implicated in the smuggling of contraband into the prisons, a number of ranks attached to the Joint Services have been caught red handed and charged. (Ramona Luthi)
