This comes after similar raids at the Goodwood prison in Cape Town and the Johannesburg prison in the past two weeks.

More than 200 correctional services and police members conducted the raid on Thursday night.

National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale says such raids help to combat crime inside and outside prisons.

“You have correctional facilities that are fairly safe because of course offenders are not going to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But secondly you remove sharp objects that they normally utilise when they fight. Then thirdly you also reduce the temptation of our own members to be involved in the smuggling and to be involved in the trade that goes on inside our facilities,” adds Thobakgale.

Thobakgale says the department will investigate how inmates came to be in possession of contraband items.

Prisoners could lose privileges or be criminally charged.

He says wardens who will be found to have been involved, will be dismissed.

“Some of the contrabands are actually utilised to establish the facts, including the fact that we also interview the offenders. When I’m saying some of the contraband, I basically mean cellphones. You know, we get to open them.”

“We are able to see the conversations . . . or listen to the conversations. And that points us to those who might have assisted. So after the investigation, we then take appropriate steps,” he explains.

-- ChannelAfrica/Dries Liebenberg--