The National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, conducted a raid at Pollsmoor Correctional Facility.
In a structured search operation, aimed at ensuring safe and secure correctional facilities, DCS organised the raid at an unconventional time.
“The evening operation focused on the Remand Section of the facility and involved an intensive search of remand detainees and sentenced offenders working in the kitchen area,” said DCS Spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DISCOVER CONTRABAND ITEMS DURING RAID
More than 800 inmates were searched and found in possession of significant quantities of prohibited items in their cells.
Nxumalo said the items found demonstrate the ongoing challenges posed by illicit activities within correctional centres across the country.
Among the items confiscated by DCS were:
- 119 x cellphones
- 74 x cellphone chargers
- 34 x sim cards
- 81 x sharp objects
- 37 x dagga pipes
- 305 x packets of dagga (totaling 854.80 grams)
- 36 x mandrax tablets (approximately 50 grams)
- Tik packets (34.00 grams)
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RAID YEILDS RESULTS
“These operations are not only necessary but vital. They reinforce our resolve to run safe, secure and rehabilitative correctional environments,” said Thobakgale.
According to Nxumalo, the operation consisted of 124 Emergency Support Team members from Correctional Services, 23 South African Police Service members and seven officers from the Metro Police.
Thobakgale vowed that DCS will continue to strengthen their internal security measures and deploy targeted interventions to identified hotspots across the country.
ARE RAIDS THE ANSWER TO CONTRABAND ITEMS FOUND IN OUR PRISONS?
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