Prison officer foils drug delivery

A sharp-eyed prison officer foiled an attempt to have cannabis delivered to an inmate at Tongariro/Rangipo prison on the weekend.

"One of our guys was on his way into work when he spotted what looked like a tupperware container tucked into the grass by the prison entrance," acting assistant regional manager Diane Brophy said.

"The way the container was placed aroused suspicion so the Corrections officer stopped to investigate further.

"Inside he found approximately an ounce of cannabis leaf - enough for several tinnies and considered a valuable commodity by some prisoners."

While there was no indication of who the drugs were for it was likely somebody planted it for a prisoner on an outside work party to pick up later, Ms Brophy said.

"Unfortunately, there are people in the community that are willing to help prisoners access drugs by trying various devious methods to get them into Corrections Facilities."

Anyone caught trying to smuggle drugs or other banned products into the prison would be prosecuted, Ms Brophy said.

- NZPA