Baby’s diapers, toothpaste tubes and even flip flops are among the unlikely items being used to smuggle drugs into Fiji’s correctional facilities, exposing the lengths some people will go to breach prison security.
According to the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS), the growing sophistication and boldness of smuggling attempts remain a serious concern, with inmates and their visitors resorting to desperate measures to feed drug habits behind bars.
Acting Commissioner Auta Moceisuva has revealed that drugs have been concealed in everyday household items and, in one alarming case, hidden inside a baby’s diaper during a prison visit.
Despite tightened security, authorities said the demand for drugs within correctional centres continued to drive attempts to outsmart surveillance systems and prison officers.
“Sometimes it is concealed in a heavy bottle, Colgate toothpaste, and sometimes it is concealed in flip-flops, or sometimes it can come with fruits inside,” he said.
He recalled a case where drugs were hidden inside a baby’s diaper during a prison visit.
He said such cases were detected from time to time, sometimes two to three cases within a given period.
He added that packages had also been found at Naboro and in nearby cemetery areas where inmates were assigned to work duties. To address the issue, FCS has strengthened surveillance and increased the use of trained canine units.
“We are vigilant in the way we provide security through the dog capability that we have with canine, together with our staff.”
He said many inmates struggled with drug addiction and could become restless when the supply was cut off.
“We know that the demand is there, so we have to cut off the supply.”
Mr Moceisuva said authorities were also exploring technological upgrades at prison gates, including the installation of X-ray machines.
