"There are no mobile phones inside Boosa Prison" : Commissioner General of Prisons

Colombo (News 1st) - A religious event organized by the Department of Prisons took place in Anuradhapura yesterday (September 15). Commissioner General of Prisons T.M.J.W.Tennakoon presided over the Bodhi Pooja which took place at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura. 600 inmates were given the opportunity to attend this event. Following the Bodhi Pooja, a Kap-Ruka Pooja took place. Furthermore, a Buddha Statue was declared open at the Anuradhapura Open Prison Camp while a Kovil was also declared open. Following the event, the Commissioner-General of Prisons expressed the following to the media. Journalists raised a question regarding the use of mobile phones inside prisons referring to the arrests made on attempts to smuggle mobile phones to Kanchipani Imran and what measures they have taken to prevent such acts from repeating. Commissioner General of Prisons, T.M.J.W.Tennakoon stated that the use of mobile phones inside the prison has become a serious issue noting that a SIM is a very tiny thing, therefore, people smuggle them by means impossible to be detected by devices. He further added that there has been a gradual decline in the usage of mobile devices in recent times due to the inspections taking place. "We can say there are no mobile devices inside the Boosa Prison", he added. He further mentioned that inmates themselves at the Boosa Prison tend to report if there are mobile devices among high-profile inmates. "We immediately informed the Prison Superintendent and seized 3 mobile devices in an early morning raid. They were from Wele-Suda and Potta Naufer and another connected to drugs", he continued. The Commissioner-General stated that information was also received about a person who came to visit Kanchipani Imran along with his father. He noted that the containers were pasted together in some way to smuggle the device in. He highlighted that they do so because smuggling in the device is of paramount importance for them. He added that they have contacted the police and all of them will be produced in court to institute legal action. "There was an issue in controlling this situation. There is a need for the creation of a new system incorporating new devices ...", he further noted.