News / Africa
Drugs, money, weapons seizedf at prisons
23 Dec 2015 at 12:29hrs | Views
PRISON officials at the Sun City Prison near Soweto in South Africa have reportedly unearthed large quantities of drugs, money and weapons suspected to be belonging to some prisoners.
Daily Sun reported that the Deputy minister of justice and correctional services Thabang Makwetla joined in the search.
It was part of Operation Vala, an annual campaign that sees security tightened at prisons around the country. Makwetla said the department launched the campaign after realising that most prison escapes occur during the festive season.
"Inmates do this because they want to be with their family or simply to commit more crimes. Since the beginning of the operation on 4 November we have foiled a significant number of escape plots."
Makwetla said Operation Vala had reduced the number of escapes over the past 10 years from an average 1 250 to 50. Errol Korabie, area co-ordinator for correctional affairs in Joburg, said that the large number of contraband seized was a gift and a curse.
"The fact that we collected so many smuggled items shows that Operation Vala is a huge success. But it also shows that there are warders who are colluding with criminals to smuggle unwanted items into the prison.
"These cellphones that are smuggled in are used to commit crime both inside and outside the prison. We urge the community to help correctional services by not smuggling unwanted items into the prison."
Daily Sun reported that the Deputy minister of justice and correctional services Thabang Makwetla joined in the search.
It was part of Operation Vala, an annual campaign that sees security tightened at prisons around the country. Makwetla said the department launched the campaign after realising that most prison escapes occur during the festive season.
"Inmates do this because they want to be with their family or simply to commit more crimes. Since the beginning of the operation on 4 November we have foiled a significant number of escape plots."
"The fact that we collected so many smuggled items shows that Operation Vala is a huge success. But it also shows that there are warders who are colluding with criminals to smuggle unwanted items into the prison.
"These cellphones that are smuggled in are used to commit crime both inside and outside the prison. We urge the community to help correctional services by not smuggling unwanted items into the prison."
Source - Daily Sun
