Efforts to combat contraband smuggling within Fiji’s correctional facilities face ongoing challenges, primarily due to limited detection resources. Maika Ciqo, the Officer in Charge of the K9 Unit, highlights that smuggling techniques have significantly evolved over the years. Families and visitors have increasingly attempted to circumvent security measures, employing various innovative methods.
Contraband has been ingeniously concealed in food items brought during visitations, hidden within footwear, discretely placed at gravesites, and even tucked inside diapers worn by infants. Additionally, there are instances where contraband is thrown over the facility fences, landing in unpredictable locations within the prison grounds.
Ciqo emphasizes that detecting items hidden within body cavities remains one of the most formidable challenges faced by the service. He also notes that the limited number of K9 resources creates substantial gaps in surveillance across the correctional facilities in the country. Currently, there is only one operational sniffer dog available to assist at the Naboro complex and three additional facilities located in Lautoka, Labasa, and Suva. The Naboro facility alone houses around 467 inmates and covers an extensive area of approximately 250,000 acres.
Despite these constraints, the Fiji Corrections Service has maintained a fleet of 30 tracker dogs, along with one active sniffer dog and six puppies as part of its replacement program. However, the cost associated with acquiring a trained sniffer dog is considerable, estimated at about ten thousand dollars. Fortunately, anticipated support from New Zealand is expected to enhance the capabilities of the K9 unit in the coming months.
To further bolster security and detection efforts, Acting Commissioner Auta Moceisuva has indicated plans to install X-ray machines that would help identify items concealed within body cavities. Currently, the single sniffer dog is utilized daily at the Naboro facility before inmates are deployed for field duties. In addition, random spot checks are regularly conducted, and security measures are notably intensified during visitation periods to discourage any smuggling activities.
The challenges in curbing contraband smuggling reflect a broader issue of resource allocation within correctional facilities worldwide. Nonetheless, the Fiji Corrections Service is taking proactive steps to enhance its operational capabilities and fulfill its mandate of maintaining safety and security within its institutions.
Leave a comment