Watch| PlayStation Consoles, S3x Toys, Nails Kit, Televisions Among Contrabands Seized During Raid At Sun City Prison

Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Department of Correctional Services officers carried out a significant raid at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre, also known as Sun City, on Wednesday night.

This operation, led by the head of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, resulted in the seizure of numerous contraband items including PlayStation consoles, mobile phones, and television sets.

During the raid, Thobakgale addressed journalists and emphasized the need for correctional services officials to provide answers. He stated, “Firstly, we start with unit managers. In every unit, there is a unit manager who now needs to account for what we found here.”

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Thobakgale also highlighted the necessity to tighten security, particularly around movements to courts, hospitals, and within the centre itself. He noted, “These movements are the ones which provide the opportunity for this contraband to be exchanged.”

The commissioner pointed out that overcrowding in prisons across South Africa contributes significantly to the contraband issue.

He explained, “It is difficult to search. Most of these offenders hide contraband in objects where you will not think they will hide them. Others will hide them inside television sets, which is why we have taken them. We have to unscrew and see what is inside.”

Thobakgale revealed various ingenious methods prisoners use to conceal contraband. He mentioned that items are often hidden in containers used for bathing or as toiletries, food containers, and even mattresses.

“In instances where they are also able to make provisions, they hide them in mattresses, so that is why you see we had to search even the mattresses and pillows,” he added.

This raid at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre underscores the ongoing challenges faced by correctional facilities in managing contraband. The efforts led by Thobakgale and his team aim to enhance security measures and ensure accountability among officials, thereby addressing this pervasive issue effectively.

Correctional Services’ EST and SAPS officials conduct a raid at the Johannesburg prison, popularly known as Sun City.@News24#PrisonRaid pic.twitter.com/A322staNAf

— Noxolo Sibiya (@NoxieSibiya) July 24, 2024