Marijuana, rum thrown over prison fence

Alert ranks at the New Amsterdam Prison were able to retrieve a huge bag containing contraband items which was thrown over the fence Wednesday morning.

Prison Director (ag), Gladwin Samuels told the media that the bag was recovered at about 04:16hrs and it contained three parcels of suspected marijuana, 32 packs of cigarettes, white rum and two bottles among other items.

Over the past several months, the administration of the Guyana Prison Service has been battling with contraband entering the prisons and in an effort to curb the issue, it will soon implement mandatory marijuana testing for all prison staff.

Superintendent Deoraj Gyandat, Officer-in-charge of the New Amsterdam Prison recently told reporters that a major challenge is posed by the close proximity of residential areas around the facility.

“Especially at the back of the Prison…persons are literally living at about 10 to 15ft off the prisons so persons sometimes access those areas…

“So the challenge is that most of the time we do not really see directly who hurls these parcels and it’s very difficult to apprehend the suspects,” Gyandat had explained.

The prison authority is also working to implement scanners at the various prisons across the country.