Alvine Kapitako
Windhoek-Two people were caught last Friday while trying to smuggle contraband into the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
The officer-in-charge of the Windhoek Correctional Facility, Deputy Commissioner Manfred Jatamunua, told New Era the man and woman took food and shoes to an inmate at the facility.
While their items were being screened, two cellphones were found hidden in their shoes.
“Our officers immediately acted and they were caught and taken to the police station where a case was opened. They will be charged with smuggling contraband,” said Jatamunua.
The incident happened at around 10h30 and the items were confiscated, said the officer-in-charge.
The smuggling of contraband can in this context be explained as smuggling prohibited goods in prison.
Jatamunua explained that smuggling of contraband occurs at regularly at the facility. Recently, an offender was caught with a cellphone hidden in his rectum.
“It was discovered through a scan that the offender hid the cellphone in his rectum. He spent the whole day out and when he came back something just did not seem right with him,” said Jatamunua.
Also, another person was caught trying to smuggle dagga (marijuana) into the facility in a Vaseline container, Jatamunua added. Jatamunua warned that contraband smugglers would be caught.
“This (smuggling) is not helping with our rehabilitation efforts. They should not even try it because we will catch them. We have a dedicated team and equipment to detect such things,” said Jatamunua. He further said: “A cellphone is the biggest problem in smuggling contraband into the facility.”
The offenders use cellphones to commit crimes while in prison, explained Jatamunua.
“They are scamming people using those cellphones. You find them selling things that they don’t even have such as houses and they are even advertising in newspapers from prison,” said Jatamunua.