A total of 13 suspected drug discoveries have been reported in the prison since May, and a further eight cases involving attempts to smuggle prohibited substances to inmates were also flagged, the Home Affairs Ministry has confirmed.
However, the government is insisting that since the start of June, no inmate has had to be admitted to Mater Dei Hospital or the Paola Health Centre due to an overdose.
This denial was issued through a statement in reaction to a story published last Monday by this newspaper which said that 14 overdoses had been reported at the Corradino Correctional Facilities in the previous seven weeks.
The discoveries coincided with a spike in synthetic drug abuse among inmates, the story said.
Sources said that as recently as last Monday, synthetic drugs were found hidden behind a locker in a cell, while a number of mobile SIM cards were found hidden in the mattress.
These developments came in the wake of a separate story published last week about a large quantity of drugs found hidden in a culvert outside the prison. During the operation, a number of inmates were also found in possession of illegal substances and mobile phones.
Drugs were also found in Division Six, supposed to be the most secure part of the facility
The discoveries fuelled concerns among prison authorities, as drugs were also found in Division Six, supposed to be the most secure part of the facility.
In a statement, the ministry denied claims that the situation in prison was out of control, saying that in the coming months new security procedures would be rolled out following the preparatory works carried out in the past legislature.
On the other hand, it acknowledged that in the past seven weeks a number of inmates had required treatment after feeling “unwell”. In cases of suspected overdose, the subjects were tested for the presence of drugs, the statement reads.
None of them were referred to hospital or the Paola health centre, the ministry said.
Since the start of April, almost 700 searches have been carried out in the prison, apart from body searches on those inmates who were back from community work or a hospital visit
It also pointed out that since the start of April, almost 700 searches have been carried out in the prison, apart from body searches on those inmates who were back from community work or a hospital visit. The same procedure was also applied to their relatives and over 200 times on the warders themselves.
The absence of any data regarding the outcome of these searches prompted this newspaper to enquire for further details.
In her reply, a ministry spokeswoman told the Times of Malta that since the beginning of May, there had been 13 cases of suspected substances found in prison, while another eight cases were flagged on suspicions of smuggling prohibited substance into CCF.
All the cases were referred to the police for further investigations the spokeswoman said.
The ministry also insisted that prison director Paul de Battista had not resigned and in his absence, assistant director Mariella Camilleri would step in. This clarification was made after Mr de Battista’s recent absence from work for health reasons.