Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Between January 2023 to June 2023, 40 mobile phones, 67 sachets of cannabis (283g) 40 pieces of crack cocaine, 2 mandrax tablets, and 42 sachets (941g) of tobacco were found at the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
This is according to the officer-in-command of the Windhoek Correctional Facility, Deputy Commissioner Veikko Armas at the conclusion of an anti-contraband campaign which was held in Windhoek this past weekend to sensitise the public on the dangers of such practices.
According to Armas, illegal goods are being smuggled into the prison by correctional officers, prison staff, offenders and people visiting inmates and they were found in the facility when searches were conducted especially during external patrol by the officers around the security perimeter.
“Often these drugs are planted around the facility, courts and public hospitals by those who work in cahoots with inmates,” he said.
Some of the illicit goods were intercepted and confiscated before they could enter the facility.
He further said during the last three years the facility has lost out on a total of 11 correctional services officers of which one was dismissed, six resigned and four are currently on suspension due to their involvement in smuggling activities with inmates.
“As per the Namibian Correctional Service Act 09 of 2012, contraband includes all goods that are prohibited by law from entering a Correctional Facility. These include items such as cell phones, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sharp objects, weapons and money. Sadly, these items are also smuggled into facilities by our correctional officers as indicated earlier who are expected to work in the best interest of the public and inmates by their positions,” he added.
Last year between January and April this year, 95 mobile phones, 101 packages of dagga in the form of ballies, bullets or sachets, 33 crack cocaine sachets, eight mandrax tablets and 75 sachets of tobacco were found in the facility. He said, inmates also smuggle contraband through toiletries, books, canned food items and also through their body cavities which poses a significant risk to the smuggler, such as drug or content leakage, impactions, obstructions and other potentially life-threatening complications can arise from smuggling illicit substances in this manner.
Armas called on the public to play their part in uniting the nation against the smuggling of contraband.
