DURBAN - THE Department of Correctional Services said one of its officials and a private citizen were arrested and are behind bars after they were caught attempting to smuggle drugs and other illegal goods into the Durban Correctional Centre in Westville yesterday.
Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said a vehicle with two occupants was stopped by patrolling officials at after 1am on Saturday morning while trying to enter the Westville facility.
Nxumalo said one of the occupants decided to flee the vehicle and evaded the officials.
He said the driver of the vehicle, who was a private citizen, was eventually apprehended.
The man identified his accomplice as a Department of Correctional Services (DCS) official, he said.
Nxumalo said when the vehicle was searched, the following items were discovered: 1 cellphone, 1 charger, 3 parcels of dagga (weight unknown) 924 white and blue capsules of whoonga and 50 white round tablets.
“At around 7:50am, DCS Day Shift officials were alerted to screams for help inside the stormwater drainage at the centre,” he said.
Upon inspection, the Emergency Support Team of DCS and SAPS, found a Correctional Services official trapped inside the stormwater drainage which he had used as a hideout spot, he said.
“The official was arrested and a consignment containing mandrax capsules, mobile phones with earphones, cellphone chargers, 34 sim cards, 669 woonga stopes, 1.1kg dagga and other illegal items was also discovered,” said Nxumalo.
He said the department was committed to having contraband free centres.
“It is a 360-degree focused intervention as attention is given to every inmate, official, service provider, visitor and residences within our premises,” he said.
The department said safe and secure correctional centres are possible to achieve.
“We expect nothing but strict adherence to safety standards from all those who interface with DCS,” he said.
Nxumalo warned that visitors, inmates, officials and private citizens caught contravening DCS regulations will be dealt with through the criminal justice system
“DCS would like to reiterate its call that errant officials involved in the smuggling of contraband shall never be spared any mercy,” he said.
THE MERCURY