Prison: We do a good job in preventing contraband

Security chiefs last night defended tactics used to incept contraband at Westgate as the prison came under the spotlight again.

Earlier this week a 23-year-old man was jailed for trying to smuggle a huge cache of rum, cells phones, a knife and cigarettes into the jail.

Tyevon Bean claimed he was paid $250 to deliver the stash of contraband into the prison on May, 15.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Safety would not say how Bean was able to get into the prison, or how often contraband was seized while being smuggled into the facility.

A Government statement said: “The Ministry of Public Safety reiterated that security is a constant feature and concern within the prison system and every effort is made to prevent contraband getting in.

“As this case indicates, incidents are isolated promptly, prosecuted swiftly and appropriate penalties meted out.”

Bean was jailed for 60 days at Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The court heard how he was spotted on CCTV approaching the perimeter fence and later found hiding in a bush close to the stash of contraband.

The case come less than a week after National Security Minister Michael Dunkley outlined a string of measures to increase security at Westgate.