The Department of Correctional Services revealed that the fraudulent activities were conducted openly during regular hours.
Prisoners at Baviaanspoort Correctional Centre were recently busted for using snuck in mobile phones to actively scam members of the public from within their cells.
The scams came to light after National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale led a specialised raid that revealed the criminal network operating in daytime.
Inmates sophisticated phone concealment system exposed
The scamming operation relied on a system of hidden mobile phones that inmates had successfully smuggled into the facility.
During the weekend raid, investigators discovered that prisoners had created sophisticated hideout spots within their cells.
The hiding spots were specifically designed to conceal these communication devices from routine searches.
The Department of Correctional Services revealed that the fraudulent activities were conducted openly during regular hours.
This raised questions about how such extensive phone-based criminal operations could operate undetected within a secure facility.
“What is most alarming is that these illicit activities were carried out in broad daylight, raising serious concerns about lapses in vigilance and continuous monitoring by officials,” the department stated.
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Mobile phone evidence under forensic analysis
The confiscated mobile phones now represent crucial evidence in understanding the scope and methodology of the prison-based scamming operation.
According to the department, forensic specialists will analyse the devices to trace the full extent of the fraudulent activities.
They will also identify victims who may have been targeted by the inmate-operated scheme.
The phone analysis will help authorities understand how the inmates managed to maintain external communications while serving time.
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Cellphone smuggling highlights security failures
The inmates’ ability to not only smuggle phones into the facility but also operate them extensively without detection has prompted demands for accountability from facility management.
Thobakgale demanded a comprehensive report from Baviaanspoort’s management, explaining how such sophisticated phone-based criminal activities could have flourished under their supervision.
The facility’s leadership must urgently develop strategies to prevent future mobile phone smuggling and enhance detection capabilities.
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Inmates scam network disrupted through transfers
All inmates identified as participants in the cellphone scamming operation have been transferred to the maximum-security unit at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre.
This immediate action was designed to disrupt the criminal network and prevent continued fraudulent activities through any remaining hidden communication channels.
The discovery of the cellphone scam intensified the department’s campaign to eliminate mobile phone smuggling.
“The department reiterates that ongoing raids are part of a broader, uncompromising campaign to rid correctional centres of contraband and eliminate criminal networks operating from within.”
Officials emphasised that stopping contraband phones from entering facilities is as crucial as removing existing devices.
“Any official found to be complicit in smuggling will face the full might of the law, with no leniency afforded,” the department warned.
It acknowledged that staff involvement may be necessary for successful phone smuggling operations.
The department reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the public from prison scams.
“Correctional Services remains firm in its commitment to maintaining safe, secure and corruption-free facilities,” it stated.
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