28 October
Wanganui Prison staff utilised information about a potential drug introduction to find a significant amount of cannabis on a visitor.
“Staff members received information about a visitor's plans to bring drugs onto Prison grounds and acted quickly to conduct a search operation of vehicles entering the prison site,” says Prison Manager Hati Kaiwai.
“During one of the searches staff found a bag in a vehicle, which the visitor admitted was cannabis. The cannabis was later weighed, and found to be 34 grams.
“This has an estimated prison value of $1700. Drug prices in prison are different to those on the street, and this is a significant find and one that we’re very glad to have picked up. Drug dealing in prison is something that we work very hard to stop.
“The find demonstrates the Prison’s intelligence and security work is having very good results for our anti-drugs policy.
“The visitor had been planning to visit a family member incarcerated at the Prison, but instead Police were contacted and subsequently the individual was arrested and the cannabis handed over to Police.
“The individual will be excluded from Wanganui Prison for a minimum of 12 months and will face criminal drug charges from Police.
“It can’t be said for certain that the visitor intended to introduce the drugs into the prison but it is likely. Many of the prisoners we manage have long histories of substance abuse and often pressure their friends, family, and acquaintances to supply them with drugs and contraband.
“Corrections has numerous ways to prevent drugs entering prisons, such as the Prison Telephone Monitoring System, CCTV cameras, Departmental intelligence operations, prison checkpoints and drug dogs.
“The Prison has a zero tolerance policy for drugs and this is a very serious matter, but occasionally people still try to get around this. Such people can expect that Corrections’ very tight security measures will catch them, and they will be turned over to Police, potentially facing criminal charges for their actions. It’s simply not worth the risk,” says Mr Kaiwai.
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