A total of 11 officers of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) in Windhoek have lost employment due to their involvement in smuggling of prohibited goods into the correctional services facilities in over a period of three years.

This was revealed by the Namibia Correctional Services’ Deputy Commissioner, Veikko Armas, here on Saturday during an anti-contraband annual campaign aimed at sensitising inmates and the public on the effects of contraband, under the theme; ‘Uniting the Nation against Contraband’.

He said during the last three-years the facility has lost 11 officers, of which one was dismissed, while six resigned and currently four are on suspension.

Armas further revealed that between January to June 2023, 40 mobile phones; 67 sachets of cannabis (283 grams of cannabis); 40 pieces of crack cocaine; two mandrax tablets and 42 sachets (941g) of tobacco, were found at the facility.

He explained that the prohibited items were mostly confiscated during searches, stressing that often the drugs are planted around the facility, courts and public hospitals by officers who work with the inmates.

“The smuggling of contraband poses a substantial threat to the overall mandate of the Namibian Correctional Service of providing safe, secure and humane custody to offenders. It also poses a substantial threat to the safety of correctional staff, inmates and the public at large as these illicit items can be used by inmates to perpetuate violence against officers, fellow inmates and members of the public,” he stressed.

He noted that smuggling equally has been observed to be detrimental to the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts aimed at offenders, fuming that instead of focusing on their restoration as law-abiding citizens, smuggling continues to support criminal attitudes and behaviours.

Armas highlighted that the challenge of shortage of staff at correctional facilities increases security threats and incidents due to the disproportion it causes in the ratio of offender to staff, as inmates tend to outnumber the correctional officers at the facilities.

“Let us work together to make our facilities free of contraband for the effective rehabilitation of inmates. Do your part in playing a role in uniting the nation against the smuggling of contraband,” he urged.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency