Illegal drug transactions are still possible inside the city jail through the use of cellular phones, an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA XI) said.PDEA XI chief Antonio Rivera told reporters on Wednesday’s AFP-PNP press briefing held at the Royal Mandaya hotel that jailed drug dealers continue their communication with their suppliers and buyers.
“Those who we arrested before, they just continue their illegal drug trade even inside the jail,” he said.
In the recent Oplan Greyhound conducted inside the city jail, the operating team confiscated cellular phones, along with weapons, money, and other contraband.
Jail Insp. Edo Lobenia, the spokesperson of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI, said that cellular phones could not be sneaked into the jail without the inmates knowing somebody from the inside.
“We admit that the BJMP is not a perfect system,” he said. “We are a dynamic organization so if we find that our personnel is guilty, we will dismiss them from service.”
“This to send the message that we do not tolerate BJMP personnel involved in illegal drug activities inside,” he added.
He said that currently, their present jail guard to inmate ratio is 1:67 so smuggling a small piece of contraband is still a challenge.
