Smuugling drugs in to Jail unstoppable – ex inmate

miadhu
Smuggling of illegal drugs, like ‘brown sugar’ in to Maafushi Jail cannot be stopped and that there is nobody capable of stopping it, as the drugs are being supplied to inmates ‘from high above’, a former prisoner who served time at Maafushi Jail told Miadhu Daily under conditions of anonymity.

“This is not something which started ‘ either today or even yesterday’, its been going on for ages, one reason is getting money, hundreds of inmates are ready customers of these well connected people, the other reason is to keep the conditions of jail a secret, to keep the actual conditions the inmates are being forced to accept a secret, the ‘brown sugar’ is like putting tape over the mouths of the inmates, the lack of basic facilities and services, the sleeping conditions, the severe congestion in jail , lack of proper toilet facilities , all these complaints can be kept a secret by drugging the inmates , by providing ‘brown sugar or other narcotic substances, this is an arrangement, which has been going on for ages , between the supplier in ‘ high places’ and prison wardens, it’s a lucrative business for them” he said.

Commenting on the recent issues that surfaced due to no cooperation by prison warden to smuggle drugs, the anonymous informer said ‘it is all a game’ aimed to concealing the actual conditions of the jail from the public eye.

According to him, when the ongoing work of the ‘pentagon ‘, a building under construction in jail, is completed many of the issues of inmates will be resolved. However , he noted that if all criminals sentenced by the courts to be jailed are taken in then it will be back to square one and the conditions will be back what it was and that any delay in taking them to jail is also is like’ an open invitation to commit crimes’.

The anonymous informer said it is vital for the government and concerned authorities, if they sincerely want to make Maafushi Jail a drug free place and solve the issues of inmates, to make the jail a place fit for humans and unless the authorities are willing to address it, there is no point in talking about the issues of jail.

Human Rights Commission of Maldives has revealed that many of the discrepancies noted in its initial visit following its inception have yet to be addressed by the penitentiary authorities. The commission’s latest report has highlighted the fact and has made severely criticized the authorities.