Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has begun an operation to take action against prison officers smuggling phones, drugs, and other contraband into prisons.
MCS has been working to stop contraband from being smuggled into prisons. A prison officer was recently arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into a prison.
Speaking to PSM News, Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu said such incidents are a longstanding issue and that a special operation has begun to stop the smuggling of contraband into prisons after holding discussions with the Maldives Police Service (MPS). He said the biggest challenge is to gain enough evidence prior to taking action against the employees of MCS, adding that the operation is targeting prison officers that are under suspicion.
Additionally, Commissioner Mohamed Fulhu said that MCS is using technology such as jammers to stop the smuggling and use of phones in prisons. He admitted that it was not the most efficient solution and that antennas have been installed to monitor the calls being made inside the prisons. He added that it would take some time for results to be seen but that smuggling contraband into prisons is now more difficult compared to previous years.