Birthday boy's drug-filled present intercepted

A point bag of methamphetamine was found inside a birthday card destined for an Auckland Prison inmate last week. File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A point bag of methamphetamine was contained in a belated birthday card and present sent to Auckland Prison last week.

But it never made it to the birthday boy, after prison staff opened the present and found the drug.

Prison manager Kelly Puohotaua said staff regularly searched people, property and post coming into the prison.

"On Thursday, an officer was examining a piece of mail, opened it and found the card and methamphetamine that had been destined for a prisoner," he said.

"Obviously drugs making their way into the hands of prisoners is extremely dangerous for other prisoners, our staff and in rare cases, the public. They are also illegal. This is unacceptable and the exact reason why we continue to be vigilant in our searches."

Mr Puohotaua said intercepting items in the mail had become easier thanks to legislative changes.

"Staff now don't need reasonable grounds to suspect a letter may not just be a phone card and chatty letter from mum."

Changes to the Corrections Act came into force on April 1. Among other modifications Corrections staff were authorised to screen incoming and outgoing prisoners' mail for unlawful and harmful communications.

- NZPA