The Guyana Prison Service yesterday said four prison officers have been interdicted from their duties after smuggling a bottle of rum and a pack of cigarettes into the Lusignan Prison on Sunday.
In a statement yesterday, Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels confirmed that reports revealed that the four prison officers “worked together” and smuggled the contraband into the prison.
As a result, he said the officers will be charged.
Samuels noted that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would see prison officers conducting searches to verify that persons do not have contraband items in their possession when entering the prisons.
This system, according to Samuels, can only be effective when there is no collusion.
“In a situation where Prison Officers agree and work together to smuggle items in, it would be hard to detect the smuggling,” he said.
“A firm stand must be taken against the smuggling of banned items into prisons,” he added.
In recent times, searches have regularly uncovered contraband items at the Lusignan Prison.
Just on Monday, a two-hour Joint Services operation was conducted at the Lusignan Prison Holding Bays, where a number of prohibited items were found. Among them were 18 cell phones, 15 SIM cards, 48 improvised weapons, 85 grammes of cannabis, a tattoo machine, five scissors, $3,040 in cash and a quantity of razor blades.
