Four Hawkes Bay men have been charged with attempting to introduce contraband into Hawke's Bay Regional Prison.
Detective Sergeant Darren Pritchard of the Hawkes Bay Police said a Corrections Officer patrolling the outer perimeters of the prison located the defendants in a vehicle extremely close to the fence line on private property.
“Two of the men were quickly apprehended with the other two making a dash for freedom,” he says. “The two men were quickly caught and found with a number of ‘well-constructed packages’,” says DS Pritchard.
“The packages contained amounts of tobacco, cannabis, methamphetamine and nicotine patches.”
Acting Prison Director Nephi Hall said that preventing contraband from entering prisons was a key priority for Corrections. “Contraband can compromise the safety of staff, visitors and prisoners. It can also prevent prisoners from engaging in rehabilitation programmes, education and employment opportunities. We use a range of methods to prevent items being introduced into prisons, and anyone who tries can expect to be caught and held accountable.”
“Last night’s arrests are very pleasing and should serve notice to anyone else that is thinking about supplying banned items to prisoners,” says DS Pritchard.
People found guilty of introducing contraband into prison are liable to a term of imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine of up to $2,000. Depending on what the contraband is, criminal charges may also apply.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre