A man fled from the Port-of-Spain Prison on Tuesday morning after prison officers caught him attempting to throw a package over the facility’s perimeter wall.
The Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service said officers spotted the unidentified man attempting to throw the package over the wall near the intersection of Gordon and Pembroke streets at about 6:45 a.m.
As officers approached, the man, who was wearing a blue top and cream-coloured long pants, fled on foot with the package still in his possession.
The package was not introduced into the prison compound.
The incident has prompted the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) to renew its call for a modern CCTV surveillance system at the prison.
POA public relations officer Kris Guerero said the association had been calling for upgraded CCTV systems, particularly at Port-of-Spain Prison, for the past four years.
Guerero said a modern system would strengthen security inside and outside prison walls, help officers detect suspicious activity and attempted contraband deliveries, monitor internal movements, preserve evidence and provide intelligence for investigations.
He said the recent incidents involving people throwing or attempting to throw contraband over the prison walls showed the urgent need for improved surveillance.
“CCTV cannot replace trained officers, proper staffing and intelligence-led operations, but it can significantly enhance their effectiveness,” Guerero said.
The Prison Service warned that trafficking or attempting to traffic prohibited articles into or out of a prison is an offence under the Prisons Act, Chap. 13:01, as amended by the Miscellaneous Provisions (Law Enforcement Officers) Act, No. 25 of 2019.
It urged the public not to attempt to smuggle prohibited articles into prisons or correctional facilities, warning that offenders could face arrest and prosecution.
The Prison Service said it would continue working with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and other law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate and prosecute such offences.
