Bid to smuggle drugs into prison foiled

Two men, one a former inmate, were foiled trying to smuggle drugs, cigarettes and a cellphone into Upper Hutt's Rimutaka Prison last night.

Acting Rimutaka Prison manager Richard Symonds said today that the two men were seen acting suspiciously near the prison last night.

When they were approached by prison staff they began to run.

"One of them wasn't fast enough though, he was apprehended and identified as a former prisoner who was released last week."

He was handed over to police but his accomplice managed to get away.

"Our staff searched the area the men had been in and found what looks to be the purpose of their visit - a package was retrieved which contained a small amount of cannabis, some tobacco, cigarette papers, a cellphone and charger," Mr Symonds said.

Two prisoners were trying to retrieve the package with home-made fishing lines, he said.

The prisoners had been charged with misconduct under the prison's internal disciplinary system.

"These items had the potential to disrupt the security of our sites and put staff and prisoner safety at risk," Mr Symonds said.

- NZPA