ONGWEDIVA – Over 186 cases of cell phone smuggling were recorded at Namibian correctional facilities in a year.
In the financial year starting April 2020 to March 2021, 110 cell phones were confiscated compared to April 2021 to March 2022 where 186 cell phones were confiscated, an increase of 76 incidents.
Similarly, 73 incidents of drug smuggling were recorded in the period April 2020 to March 2021 compared to 69 incidents from April 2021 to March 2022, a decrease of four incidents.
According to assistant commissioner Salmi Hangula of the Namibian Correctional Services (NCS), more contraband is being intercepted because correctional facilities have intensified searching on correctional staff, inmates, visitors, court premises, hospitals and the surroundings of correctional facilities.
“Criminal charges were laid with police against visitors and inmates found in possession of prohibited articles. The public was sensitised through community engagements and the media on security awareness not to smuggle prohibited articles into correctional facilities,” she stressed.
She added these measures deter corrupt behaviour in society.
Hangula indicated the statistics provided are from all the facilities. Male inmates are the most likely to be caught with cell phones within correctional facilities.
She said cell phone smuggling poses a security threat to correctional officers, as cell phones had been utilised by inmates to organise crimes such as financial scams, plan escapes, drug smuggling, threatening victims and witnesses and subsequently compromising public safety.
Hangula added this also compromises rehabilitation efforts for inmates.
“Correctional officers were trained on how to search and identify hotspots for smuggling. The NCS had instituted a ban on receiving parcels from outside for inmates,” she said.
She mentioned the correctional team is also conducting community engagement programmes and campaigns to educate the public on the dangers of smuggling prohibited articles into correctional facilities.
“The negative effects associated with contraband use and smuggling include an increase in bullying and violence. Smuggling continues to support criminal attitudes and behaviours,” she said.
Hangula added the NCS is mandated to provide safe, secure, and humane custody of offenders, rehabilitate and re-integrate them into society. This mandate can only be realised in collaboration with all Namibians. I thus caution the public against assisting any inmate with smuggling any prohibited article into the correctional facilities, she urged.