CONTRABAND was confiscated during a random greyhound operation at the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Nov. 18 and 20. (BJMP-NIR)
BACOLOD CITY – Contraband – four sachets of suspected shabu, six cellphones, and two improvised bladed weapons – were seized during random greyhound operations inside the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Nov. 18 and 20.
Jail Senior Insp. Juniven Rey Umadhay, spokesperson for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR), said the operations were conducted following intelligence information gathered by jail personnel.
The first operation was conducted on Nov. 18. Jail personnel confiscated a sachet of suspected shabu, five cellphones, and bladed weapons.
Another operation was conducted two days later on Nov. 20. Three sachets of suspected shabu, a smartphone, and a charger were recovered in the cell of insular or convicted Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
Umadhay said the illegal drugs were recovered from their bed bunks.
Although they have two PDLs subjected to investigation, Umadhay said that their identities were subject for verification since bed bunks usually have transient occupants.
Umadhay said they will have to probe who among them own the contraband in the two dormitories.
He said they have raised the security measures in the jail following these incidents, especially in monitoring the PDLs and implementation of thorough search at the gate.
Umadhay said there’s a possibility that these contrabands may have been thrown through the perimeter wall similar to the firearm last August.
He said these contrabands may be used as weapons by PDLs in transacting illegal activities outside the jail and planning possible attacks against jail personnel.
He said they do not discount the possibility that visitors could also be a key for the existence of these contrabands.
He said that recovered cellphones were maybe among those used by the PDLs in posting a leaked video of the situation inside the facility during a noise barrage and protest of PDLs to oust warden Jail Chief Insp. Crisyrel Awe in August due to alleged mistreatment.
Awe was relieved but returned to his post last month after investigation showed that he has not violated the law in handling the PDLs and implementing the security inside the facility.
He said that visitation is not prohibited but they have strengthened their inspection to prevent similar incidents.