Prison cells housing more than 1,900 inmates, some serving multiple life sentences, were swept during a raid at St Albans Correctional Facility in the Eastern Cape on Thursday night.

More than 50 emergency security officials clad in riot gear and armed with batons and pepper spray raided cell blocks in search of contraband in the operation led by correctional services national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale and acting regional commissioner Lucky Mthethwa.

Footsteps signalled the start of the raid in the maximum security section as the emergency security team targeted seven cells.

At about 1.15am, as the facility fell quiet, the security team from six management areas, including St Albans, Kirkwood, East London and Mthatha, had confiscated 185 contraband substances and items and R553 in cash.

These included 21 cellphones, 38 cellphone accessories, makeshift chargers fashioned from live wires, tik and 49 dagga bankies.

“We did the raid as part of our normal security operations. It focused on St Albans for the past two or three days,” Thobakgale said.

“We aim to keep clean facilities, first in terms of contraband such as cellphones and unlawful objects. This is also to help the offenders keep a clean record. If they don't, we have to discipline them.”

He said officials conducted the search operation in line with the department’s approved policies and standard operating procedures to ensure, among others, inmates’ rights were protected.

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