New scanners to be installed at Mazaruni, other prisons to address smuggling – Min. Benn
Feb 07, 2025
Kaieteur News-The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon be installing new scanners at several prisons across the country, including the Mazaruni Prison to address the smuggling of contraband by officers and civilians.
This was disclosed by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn during the Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure before the Committee of Supply this week.
Minister Benn was asked by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Geeta Chandan-Edmond what measures are being employed by his ministry to deter prison officers from smuggling contraband.
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn along with other officials from his ministry during the Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure.
“Will there be increased screening or random searches? Would there be additional training and more integrity testing to prevent such incidents?” Chandan-Edmond asked.
In response, the Minister noted recent incidents where prison officers were caught smuggling marijuana and other items into the prisons. He described the situation as disappointing.
“In spite of all the training, in spite of integrity testing and so on, that we have these occurrences. We intend to keep up the level of scrutiny searches, which we have at the moment increased, have them heightened, which the Prison Service was asked to do,” Benn said.
The minister explained that there have been two occurrences recently which civilians were a part of as well and officers need to keep an eye on civilians who take food or things to prisoners.
“We are just now installing more scanners at the Mazaruni Prison itself, which will take away the human element related to the matter of the smuggling of things,” he said noting that similar measures will be implemented at other prisons across the country.
On January 21, Kaieteur News reported that a 21-year-old prison officer was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a narcotics possession charge at the Bartica Magistrates’ Court.
Joel Johnson, a resident of Lot 1, Section ‘C’ Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara, was found in possession of 804 grams of cannabis on January 14, 2025, at the Mazaruni Prison Checkpoint/Scanning Area. He was arrested on the same day and later charged with Possession of Narcotics for the Purpose of Trafficking, contrary to Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, Chapter 10:10.
Appearing before Magistrate Teriq Mohamed, Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge. He was subsequently sentenced to three years in prison and fined $30,000.
According to police reports, on January 14, at approximately 18:30hrs, a prison officer was on duty at the Mazaruni Checkpoint/Scanning Area when Johnson returned from a four-day leave. Upon his return, he was subjected to a mandatory search. During the inspection, Johnson presented a green haversack for examination. Upon searching the haversack, eight soap boxes and two Colgate toothpaste boxes were found, containing leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis, all wrapped in transparent plastic.
The other prison officer on duty identified the suspected cannabis and promptly arrested Johnson. The matter was reported to the police, and officers responded to the scene. The suspected narcotics were handed over to Corporal Yearwood, along with Johnson, who was escorted to the Bartica Police Station. At the station, the narcotics were weighed, totalling 804 grams.
(New scanners to be installed at Mazaruni, other prisons to address smuggling – Min. Benn)
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