WEST JAVA: A correctional facility in West Java’s Cianjur district has destroyed hundreds of cellular phones that were seized from inmates as part of efforts to thwart drug-trafficking rackets controlled from prison cells.
A total of 127 cellular phones, 25 chargers, 83 power banks, and 173 headsets were seized from inmates in a series of raids conducted over the past few months, chief of the correctional facility, Heri Aris Susila, informed on Saturday.
“We have conducted raids and destroyed (cellular phones) to ensure that cellular phones can no longer be used within the correctional facility, particularly to control drug-trafficking behind the bars, which we continue to fight against,” he informed.
He said drug convicts are resorting to various means to smuggle contraband into the correctional facility. Hence, the correctional facility has tightened checks on items brought by visitors meeting inmates.
In future, visitors who bring cellular phones will be denied entry into the correctional facility as part of efforts to break the chain of drug-trafficking operated from behind prison bars, he added.
He said a prisoner was found running a drug racket inside the prison using a cellular phone some time ago.
“We will step up raids until no prisoner has a cellular phone. This does not stop here. After destroying cellular phones, we will tighten checks so that drugs cannot be smuggled into the prison anymore,” he added.
