Prison officers have seized €37,400 worth of illicit contraband after two separate smuggling attempts at Wheatfield Prison, including one involving a drone.
In a press release published on Friday, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) confirmed the seizures, which occurred earlier this week, and described the incidents as part of ongoing efforts to “ensure the continued safety of staff and prisoners.”
The first incident occurred on 7 June, when officers from the Operational Support Group observed an individual attempting to throw packages over the prison wall. A search of the area recovered multiple parcels containing cannabis resin, tablets, mobile devices, chargers and SIM cards.
In a separate incident, prison staff intercepted a drone attempting to deliver goods into the exercise yard. The package fell short of its target and was secured before any inmates could retrieve it. The contents included cannabis herb, tablets, unidentified powder, and fob phones with chargers.
A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service confirmed the combined prison value of the two seizures was €37,400.
“This on-going operation of preventing contraband into prisons aligns with the objectives outlined in the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service,” the spokesperson said.
“The agreement strengthens intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement efforts to disrupt criminal networks operating within and around the prison system.”
The IPS said the prevention of contraband is “a high priority” and that it “continues to invest in new technologies and measures” to support enforcement efforts.
As previously reported by Gript, Irish prisons have recorded 9,286 contraband mobile phones seized since 2015, with numbers increasing year-on-year. The number of phones confiscated more than doubled from 626 in 2015 to 1,272 in 2023.
Over the same eight-year period, there were 10,371 drug seizures and 3,965 weapon seizures, but only 869 related arrests by Gardaí.
The IPS attributes much of the contraband influx to “throw overs” by outside contacts. In a past statement, the service said that “the suspension of visits for significant periods since March 2020, as a result of COVID 19, has forced a shift in the methods used for trafficking contraband into prisons.”
The statement continued:
“We have seen an increase in the number of ‘throw overs’ – i.e. contacts on the outside attempting to throw mobile phones and drugs into exercise yards. Due to the regimes currently in operation in our prisons, prison staff have been able to identify and intercept many of these ‘throw overs’, ensuring they do not reach the prison population.”
The service also pointed to the use of its canine unit, increased random searches, and new detection technologies to monitor deliveries and prisoner property.
Advancements in technology have helped detect drugs sprayed onto letters, newspapers and clothing.
The IPS operates a confidential tip line for information related to prison smuggling: 1800 855 717, or text line 086 180 2449.