53 mobile phones taken to custody by Prison officials
July 17, 2020A total of 53 mobile phones and accessories including mobile batteries and SIM cards were taken into custody following separate special operations undertaken by the Prison officials at the female section of the Welikada Prison, Colombo Remand Prison and Kalutara Prison since Wednesday (July 15).
According to Prisons Department Commissioner (Administration) and Spokesperson Chandana Ekanayake, 18 parcels containing 38 mobile phones, 254 phone batteries, 05 SIM cards were taken into custody as these parcels had been thrown over the wall into the Welikada Female Section from an adjacent residential area at Wanathamulla in Dematoagoda.
He said that this remains to be a persisting challenge for Prison officials as just a wall separates the Prison’s female ward section and a part of a residential area with many unauthorized city dwellers.
Meanwhile, in another special operation conducted by officials at the Colombo Remand Prison, 15 mobile phones, 02 mobile chargers and 12 SIM cards were also taken into custody from the possession of the inmates, he said.
Further, 15 individuals were taken into custody by the Kalutara North Police, for allegedly throwing parcels into the Kalutara prison yesterday (July 16). The suspects were remanded as investigations were continuing, he said.
“We will continue to carry out such operations in future too in order to ensure that prisons are free of illegal items” he further said.