Drugs, mobile phones, alcohol, and steroids seized in raid at Mountjoy Prison
Associates Prison Prison In Authorities Destined Are For If Prison Inside Irish Kinahan Truck Consignment Hidden – Picture: Cartel Was The Of The Service A Investigating The Jailed Delivery
Up to 30 mobile phones and 25 SIM cards along with an assortment of bags, boxes, and vials of drugs have been seized in Mountjoy Prison, in what is thought to be one of the single biggest consignments of contraband in prisons in recent times.
A man in his 40s has since been arrested in connection with the seizure and is being questioned at Mountjoy Garda Station.
Prison authorities suspect the consignment - hidden inside a delivery of goods to the prison kitchen – was destined for jailed associates of the Kinahan cartel in the Dublin jail.
Early reports indicate the items were labelled with nicknames and initials for distribution throughout the prison.
The targeted search, conducted this morning, was the result of extensive intelligence work by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) Operational Support Group (OSG).
An Garda Síochána was notified and detectives in Mountjoy Garda Station are conducting an investigation.
The OSG had gathered information that a pallet of contraband was due for delivery into the kitchen on Tuesday morning.
“OSG staff intercepted the van, searched it and filled five large paper evidence bags to be collected by the gardaí,” said one source.
An initial examination of the pallet detailed:
- Between 20-30 mobile phones, including around three smartphones;
- Approximately 25 SIM cards;
- Two bags containing white powder (suspected to be cocaine);
- Vials of steroids;
- Around 800 grams of cannabis herb;
- Some five shoebox-sized boxes containing almost 10,000 tablets.
Jailed members and associates of the Kinahan cartel are suspected of being behind the consignment.
Sources said the haul was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, single haul of contraband in Irish prisons in recent times.
“A huge amount of work went into this operation and has resulted in a very large find, one of the largest,” said a source.
A statement later released by the Irish Prison Service confirmed the seizure in what it described as "an intelligence led security operation by Mountjoy Prison staff" with the Operational Support Group (OSG) based at the prison.
The Director General of the Irish Prison Service, Caron McCaffrey said this morning’s operation was “a very significant result for Mountjoy Prison and our Operational Support Group in their efforts to prevent dangerous contraband from entering the prison”.
“Given the scale of the contraband seized it is highly possible that these drugs, if they had made their way into the prison population, could have had a devastating impact on the prison population including the potential for the loss of life by overdose,” said Ms McCaffrey.
The Director General praised both Mountjoy Prison and the Operational Support Group for today’s successful operation.
Last week, the reported that the amount of contraband items, including drugs, seized in Irish prisons has risen this year - with the IPS saying it was down to higher detection levels sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
IPS figures show that in the first 10 months of this year, there were 1,008 drug seizures and 967 mobile phones confiscated, as well as 255 weapons and almost 300 litres of alcohol, or 'hooch'.
Figures show that Wheatfield Prison, with 479, accounted for about half of all mobile phone seizures this year, while 411 drug seizures were made there.
The prison with the next highest level of contraband seizures was Mountjoy, with 230 drug seizures, 171 mobile phones confiscated, along with 172 litres of alcohol, followed by Cloverhill, with 168 mobile phones confiscated and 158 drug seizures.