Drugs, cellphones thrown over prison wall

NALINEE SEELAL

PORT OF SPAIN CID officers seized a bag containing 5.56 grammes of cocaine, two cell phones, loose cigarettes and wrappers which was thrown over the wall of the Port of Spain prison between New and Pembroke streets on Wednesday afternoon.

No one was arrested but prison authorities have provided camera footage which can identify people in a car from which the bag was thrown over the wall. Video footage captured the car’s number plate.

According to reports at about 5 pm on Wednesday, two men in a car pulled alongside the prison between and an occupant of the car threw a bag over the wall. The bag became entangled between the wall and barbed wire resulting in officers of the Wrightson Road Fire Department being called to assist in retrieving it.

The bag was handed over to officers including Acting Senior Superintendent Ajith Persad, ASP Anderson Parriman and Inspector Rajesh Gokool. Footage from CCTV cameras was sent to the Cyber Crime Unit and investigations are continuing.

Yesterday, Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson confirmed the incident but noted that several years ago, a security net was placed on the inside of he prison walls so that items thrown over would be caught rather than reach the ground.

“Throwing items over the wall has become kind of a customary thing and that is why we have a net that traps anything thrown over. Items are then retrieved and handed over to the police. The net has been there for years,” Wilson said.