Cellphones, dagga, nyaope and weapons found during raid at Leeuwkop prison – reports

The Department of Correctional Services paid a visit to Leeuwkop Correctional Services yesterday, 28 December, under the festive season security campaign, Operation Vala.

The visit is said to have been a surprise.

According to a statement on the department’s website, the campaign aims to curb assaults and prevent escapes at the correctional services facilities, as well as to prevent contraband being smuggled.

Various media organisations are reporting that in the surprise raid at Leeuwkop Correctional Services yesterday, cells were searched and prisoners were frisked at the C-Max prison.

According to a report by News24, many items not allowed in the prison were found. The report said among the items were ‘cellphones, dagga, nyaope, shanks and other makeshift weapons’. A prison warder’s uniform was also found under a mattress, the report said.

The Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Thabang Makwetla, who launched Operation Vala on 3 November, was reportedly in attendance at the raid and commented on how the management needed to make a plan to rectify the shortcomings that the raid of the prison revealed.

According to a report by ENCA, Makwetla had said that those who were found in possession of illegal contraband would be dealt with.