Wardens seize cellphones
2008-07-13 09:00
Nairobi - Kenyan prison wardens on Saturday seized hundreds of cellphones from a maximum security prison in Nairobi as part of a crackdown on crime masterminded from behind bars, an official said.
Some 350 cellphones and more than 1 000 SIM cards were recovered from the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, said prison commandant Joseph Mutevesi.
He blamed prison visitors and some dishonest wardens for smuggling in the cellphones and said that stricter checks would be applied in future.
"When entering the prison people will be searched and also when leaving," he said, adding that modern search equipment would also replace manual checks.
Officials said a warden suspected of smuggling narcotics, alcohol and other prohibited items into Kamiti prison had also been detained.
The public has reported death threats coming from prisoners and scams carried out from cellphones inside prisons, prompting police to launch the crackdown.
It is due to be extended to the country's 89 penal institutions.